"There are more important issues for the two presidents to address including the renewal of the New START Treaty which is due to expire in February 2026," James Carden, retired diplomat and former advisor to the US side of the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, said

The Russian president said that both Moscow and Washington were keen on a face-to-face meeting between himself and US leader Donald Trump

The announcement comes as Trump’s deadline for Russia to agree to a Ukraine ceasefire passed without any new action.