Russian ambassador says Moscow open to another Trump-Putin meeting: report

MOSCOW - Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said here Friday that his country is open to a new meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump.

Antonov was quoted by Interfax news agency and Sputnik as saying at the Valdai Discussion Club that he is unaware of an invitation, and it is up to the Kremlin to formally respond.

However, Russia "was always open to such proposals. We are ready for discussions on this subject," he said.

US White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that Trump has asked National Security Advisor John Bolton to invite Putin to Washington in autumn, and the discussions "are already underway."

Antonov said that Putin has made concrete suggestions to Trump about resolving the conflict in East Ukraine, adding it is important to "deal with the results" of Trump's meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Finland.

Noting that a group of US Congressmen is planning to visit Russia, he said it is unlikely a trip by Russian lawmakers to the United States would occur before the mid-term elections in November.

He also suggested holding a meeting between the two nations' defense chiefs, urging to resume the "2+2" talks between the two nations' foreign and defense ministers.

Trump has been widely attacked after his meeting with Putin on July 16, due to his reconciliatory remarks that many saw as a sign to side with Moscow against US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 US elections.