Michael Hernandez
24 May 2021•Update: 25 May 2021
WASHINGTON
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discussed with his Russian counterpart ongoing preparations for a summit between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House said on Monday.
The White House billed the meeting between Sullivan and Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev as "an important step in the preparation" for the first sit-down between the leaders since Biden assumed office in January, adding that a date and location will be announced later.
"The discussions were held in a constructive manner and, despite outstanding differences, allowed for a better understanding of each other’s positions," it said in a statement.
"A wide range of issues of mutual interest were discussed with a high priority given to the topic of strategic stability. The sides expressed confidence that mutually acceptable solutions could be found in a number of areas," it added.
The potential Biden-Putin summit is expected to be held in June when the US president travels to Europe for a slew of meetings with allies, including a G7 summit in Britain from June 11 to 13, and meetings with NATO and EU partners in Brussels on June 14.
Speculation has mounted that the meeting with Putin will be tacked on to either end of the president's Europe travel, though the parties are continuing discussions aimed at agreeing upon a third-party country to meet in, as well as a date.
