WASHINGTON—The White House is planning for a potential summit between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, according to people familiar with the efforts, a meeting that would bring to the international stage one of the world’s most enigmatic political relationships.
A senior administration official said Friday that Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, has been in Washington to help arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin.
The planning is still at an early stage, the official said, with the two nations needing to agree on a date and location.
“This has been an ongoing project of Ambassador Huntsman, stretching back months, of getting a formal meeting between Putin and Trump,” the official said.
Any meeting between the two presidents would be expected to include discussions on Syria, Ukraine and nuclear-arms control. The summit’s purpose would be to resolve longstanding differences, people familiar with the matter said.
The potential meeting comes as special counsel Robert Mueller continues to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether associates of Trump colluded with Moscow. Trump has denied any collusion and has described the probe as a “witch hunt.” Russia has denied meddling in the election.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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