Moscow: Russia has begun preparations to form a negotiating team for upcoming talks with the United States, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Thursday.

Peskov confirmed that efforts were underway to establish a delegation for negotiations, including discussions on the ongoing situation in Ukraine. He emphasized that the Kremlin sees an urgent need for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

“There is a need for such a meeting to take place fairly soon. The heads of state have a lot to talk about. There are many topics on the agenda, which were briefly covered yesterday during the telephone conversation,” Peskov stated.

However, he noted that it was still too early to set a date for the talks, as preparations for the meeting would only begin in the coming days. Peskov also clarified that no substantive talks on Ukraine have taken place at the working level yet.

“There have been no substantive contacts at the working level yet. The political will of the heads of state was expressed, and instructions were given, but this happened just yesterday evening in Moscow… therefore, we need to be a little patient,” he added.

The statement comes after Putin and Trump held a 90-minute telephone conversation on Wednesday, where they discussed the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East, and bilateral economic ties, among other key issues.