Putin strictly refused Switzerland to host any future summit with Trump… preferring the place to be in Arabic Gulf state

Russian President Vladimir Putin has flatly rejected Switzerland as a mediator on Ukraine and as a venue for his meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump.

According to sources familiar with the Kremlin’s position on the possible Russian-American summit, a number of Russian Foreign Ministry officials support the choice of Switzerland as a possible venue for the summit with the participation of the presidents of Russia and the United States.

According to these sources, attempts have been made to convince Putin and his close circle that Bern or Geneva are two international venues with high status, and if negotiations are held there, it will significantly enhance Moscow’s image on the international stage.

But in the end, the decision was made not to choose Switzerland for several reasons.

First, Putin’s meeting with Biden took place in Switzerland, and it’s better to avoid any resemblance to Trump’s meeting.

It’s necessary to show that things will be different with the new US president.

Therefore, even the meeting place is better not to be repeated.

Second, Switzerland isn’t ready to grant visas to a number of Russian officials for the summit, citing the sanctions imposed on them.

It’s better to find a location where this issue won’t be a topic of discussion — for example, there are countries in the Middle East and the Arab world, according to Russian sources.

It can be assumed that both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are the most likely countries, given their mediation in prisoner exchange deals between Russia and Ukraine and their confirmation on more than one occasion of their readiness to host peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.