US in Early Discussions for Potential Meeting Between Trump, Putin - Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Planning for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump is potentially underway, media reported.

White House staffers are planning the possible summit, the Wall Street Journal said on Friday, citing "people familiar with the efforts," but provided no details on timing or locations.

A senior administration official reportedly said that US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman was in Washington trying to plan a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump.

"This has been an ongoing project of Ambassador Huntsman, stretching back months, of getting a formal meeting between Putin and Trump," the official said as quoted by the WSJ. The official confirmed to the outlet that Huntsman was in Washington to arrange the meeting.

In March, Trump held a phone conversation with Putin, during which he congratulated the Russian president on victory in the presidential election and invited him to come to the United States.

Previous month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Trump had expressed his readiness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but no other steps had been taken, there was no clarity on the issue.