WASHINGTON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump has discussed with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a recent phone call about a meeting at several "potential venues" including the White House.
In the last call between Trump and Putin on March 20, "the two had discussed a bilateral meeting in the 'not-too-distant future' at a number of potential venues, including the White House," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders in a statement.
The Kremlin said on Monday that Trump, during the phone call, proposed a meeting with Putin at the White House.
However, the prospects of organizing the summit have not been discussed since then, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
"If everything goes well, I hope the Americans will not give up their proposal to discuss the possibility of holding a summit," TASS news agency quoted Ushakov as saying.
Days after the Trump-Putin meeting proposal, relationship between Washington and Moscow has plunged to a new low, as the United States expelled 60 Russian diplomats and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle in a concerted action with Britain and other Western nations over an ex-spy poisoning case.
Moscow retaliated with the expulsion of an equal number of U.S. diplomats and the closure of the U.S. consulate in St. Petersburg, a move the Washington saw as marking "a further deterioration" in the U.S.-Russia relations.
"Against the background of these events, of course, it is difficult to discuss holding the summit," Ushakov said.
