Phone conversations between US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to take place within the "coming days and weeks," incoming US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz said.
The call is expected to serve as the basis for further negotiations and a personal meeting between Trump and Putin, Waltz told ABC News on Sunday.
"We haven't set an exact framework for it, but we're working on it. But I expect a call at least in the coming days and weeks. This will be a step and we will do it," Waltz said.
The incoming senior official has not given any estimate as to when the meeting between the two leaders will take place, saying only that preparations are being made.
Earlier, Trump said a meeting with Putin was being prepared, signaling that it would not materialize until after his inauguration on January 20. Moscow has repeatedly signaled its readiness to communicate with the next US president, noting, however, that the exact details of when and where the meeting would take place have not been clarified.