Russian Official Provides Insights on Anticipated Putin-Trump Summit

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov says another meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump could happen soon. Speaking to a state-owned international affairs magazine, Ryabkov said communication channels between Moscow and Washington remain open, and both sides are working to find a path forward on key issues including nuclear stability.

The last Putin-Trump meeting took place in Alaska in August but failed to produce any agreement on ending the Ukraine crisis. A follow-up meeting planned for Budapest was postponed indefinitely. But Ryabkov insists the diplomatic process continues behind the scenes.

"We work continuously. We have established formats and channels. Not all of them are visible or audible, and it's not necessary to talk about all of them publicly, but the fact remains that everything is going well," he said in the interview published Saturday.

The Russian official described progress in Moscow-Washington dialogue as "excellent," though he provided few specifics about what concrete steps might emerge from ongoing talks.

Ryabkov also addressed the possibility of three-way nuclear stability talks involving China, the US, and Russia. Moscow won't pressure Beijing to join such discussions, he said, noting that Russia has "no questions for China regarding arms limitation and strategic stability." He added that Russia hasn't received formal proposals from Washington for this type of meeting.

Trump has expressed interest in bringing China into nuclear arms reduction efforts alongside Russia and the US. Last month, Trump said Putin raised the possibility of moving forward with bilateral nuclear de-escalation efforts that could later include China.

The timing matters for global markets and defense contractors. Any progress on arms control agreements could shift military spending priorities and affect defense stocks. But the Ukraine conflict remains the biggest obstacle to meaningful US-Russia cooperation, with no clear resolution in sight despite ongoing diplomatic contacts.