ISTANBUL 

Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov on Thursday said Moscow and Washington are moving closer to a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, despite what he called “mutual disappointments” in their bilateral relations.

“Yes, we probably disappoint them somewhere. They disappoint us too, perhaps even more than we disappoint them, and for a long time,” Ushakov told Russian state-run broadcaster Rossiya 1 journalist Pavel Zarubin.

He said that while not all of Russia’s proposals are accepted, the Trump administration “understands Russia’s demands and goals.”

Ushakov acknowledged that bilateral efforts are continuing and that both sides are heading toward a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin.

Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, the two leaders have held two phone calls, while high-level meetings took place in Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.