ANKARA

Saudi Arabia on Friday commended the recent phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and welcomed the idea of them meeting in the Kingdom.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia commends the phone call that took place between President Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America and President Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation on 12 February 2025, and the announcement regarding the possibility of holding a summit attended by their excellencies the two Presidents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"The Kingdom expresses its welcome to hosting a summit in Saudi Arabia," the ministry said, reaffirming “its ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine.”

The ministry stressed that “over the past three years, the Kingdom continued these efforts, which included hosting numerous meetings on this matter.”

Trump on Wednesday, after speaking to Putin, said they agreed to “immediately” start negotiations to end the three-year-long war in Ukraine. He also spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy.

Separately talking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump said he could meet Putin in “not too distant future" to end the "bloody horrible war."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it could take several months to arrange a meeting between the two leaders.