MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin, asked on Monday about a possible meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia, said that a meeting was necessary but that Putin had no trips to the Middle East planned for mid-May.

I hope they will not be required.” Putin’s answer encapsulates his skillful manipulation of the nuclear threat. He often denies the intention of using nuclear weapons in a specific case but leaves the potential for future use hanging in the air.

The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump is necessary in many ways, but has not been scheduled yet, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on May 5. Peskov's statement comes as the Trump administration has been attempting to bring Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table.