CNN: Kremlin Wants Face-to-Face Meeting Between Putin and Trump

RUSH TRANSCRIPT WHITFIELD All ░░░░░░░░ CNN s frederik pleitgen ░░░░░░░░ in Moscow with Russia ░░░░░░░░ reaction to the mixed ░░░░░░░░ that they are hearing ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration on ░░░░░░░░ PLEITGEN Trying to figure ░░░░░░░░ what exactly to make ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration A ░░░░░░░░ of days after what ░░░░░░░░ Russians deemed to be ░░░░░░░░ very successful phone call ░░░░░░░░ U S president Donald ░░░░░░░░ and Russian president Vladimir ░░░░░░░░ essentially paving the way ░░░░░░░░ possible peace talks to ░░░░░░░░ and end the war ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine but also for ░░░░░░░░ possible direct meeting between ░░░░░░░░ and Trump in a ░░░░░░░░ country The Russians now ░░░░░░░░ from jd Vance the ░░░░░░░░ S Vice president in ░░░░░░░░ interview with The Wall ░░░░░░░░ Journal essentially threatening the ░░░░░░░░ that if they don ░░░░░░░░ sign on to a ░░░░░░░░ deal that the U ░░░░░░░░ would have both economic ░░░░░░░░ military levers at its ░░░░░░░░ to try and get ░░░░░░░░ Russians to come to ░░░░░░░░ negotiating table and to ░░░░░░░░ to some sort of ░░░░░░░░ Now I texted the ░░░░░░░░ for the Kremlin Dmitry ░░░░░░░░ about all this and ░░░░░░░░ texted back that he ░░░░░░░░ hoping and the Russians ░░░░░░░░ hoping to clarify everything ░░░░░░░░ direct contacts Meaning obviously ░░░░░░░░ Russians want to get ░░░░░░░░ direct contact with the ░░░░░░░░ Administration Now that is ░░░░░░░░ course already happening The ░░░░░░░░ are saying they re ░░░░░░░░ trying to put together ░░░░░░░░ putting together teams for ░░░░░░░░ negotiations for an end ░░░░░░░░ the war in Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ the main thing for ░░░░░░░░ Russians the first thing ░░░░░░░░ they want to achieve ░░░░░░░░ say is a direct ░░░░░░░░ to face meeting between ░░░░░░░░ Vladimir Putin of Russia ░░░░░░░░ the U S president ░░░░░░░░ Trump Now we heard ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration that ░░░░░░░░ believe that such a ░░░░░░░░ could take place in ░░░░░░░░ Arabia The Russians have ░░░░░░░░ yet confirmed that but ░░░░░░░░ are saying that they ░░░░░░░░ already putting teams together ░░░░░░░░ try and set something ░░░░░░░░ that in motion And ░░░░░░░░ spokesman for the Kremlin ░░░░░░░░ said that he believes ░░░░░░░░ a meeting like that ░░░░░░░░ take place within a ░░░░░░░░ of weeks at most ░░░░░░░░ a matter of a ░░░░░░░░ months Now the Russians ░░░░░░░░ cautioning though that any ░░░░░░░░ of way to an ░░░░░░░░ to the war in ░░░░░░░░ might not be as ░░░░░░░░ as President Trump may ░░░░░░░░ let on before taking ░░░░░░░░ And shortly after taking ░░░░░░░░ the Russians are saying ░░░░░░░░ there are a lot ░░░░░░░░ issues for them that ░░░░░░░░ simply will not budge ░░░░░░░░ One of the ones ░░░░░░░░ this was also set ░░░░░░░░ by the Kremlin spokesman ░░░░░░░░ the territory that Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ holds inside of Russia ░░░░░░░░ the kursk region where ░░░░░░░░ Russians are saying they ░░░░░░░░ to militarily oust the ░░░░░░░░ from that territory They ░░░░░░░░ not want that to ░░░░░░░░ part of negotiations going ░░░░░░░░ And then of course ░░░░░░░░ is also the question ░░░░░░░░ all the territory that ░░░░░░░░ Russians hold inside of ░░░░░░░░ and the question of ░░░░░░░░ Ukrainian NATO membership in ░░░░░░░░ future Of course there ░░░░░░░░ we ve heard mixed ░░░░░░░░ coming from the Trump ░░░░░░░░ some Trump officials saying ░░░░░░░░ do not believe that ░░░░░░░░ will be a part ░░░░░░░░ NATO Others saying that ░░░░░░░░ is something that might—“