Meeting with Putin already being organized, Trump says

Newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he is preparing for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but did not specify a date, according to Reuters.

The statement was made during Trump's address to Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on January 9.

"He wants to meet, and we are setting it up," Trump said.

He emphasized that Putin has publicly expressed his desire for a meeting.

Trump also reiterated the need to end the "bloody mess."

On December 18, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed Trump of his wish not to rush the process to avoid harming Ukraine.

On January 7, Trump suggested that he could meet with the Russian leader "much sooner than six months." However, he stressed that a meeting before the inauguration would be inappropriate.