Trump says to meet with Putin in "not too distant future"

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he will probably meet Russian President Vladimir Putin who won Sunday's election in a landslide victory "in the not too distant future." 

A photo combination of U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. [Photo: China Plus]

"I had a call with President Putin and congratulated him on the victory," Trump told reporters at the White House before his meeting with visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. 

"The call had to do also with the fact that we will probably get together in the not too distant future," Trump added. 

Trump said that they could discuss the arms race between Washington and Moscow and also talk about issues including Ukraine, Syria and the Korean Peninsula. 

The White House said in a statement that Trump and Putin in their phone call earlier on Tuesday discussed the bilateral relations, resolving to continue dialogue about mutual national security priorities and challenges. 

During the phone call, Trump also emphasized the importance of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, according to the statement. 

Putin was re-elected Russian president for the fourth time in a landslide victory on Sunday, garnering more than 76 percent of the vote. 

Trump's remarks on his possible meeting with Putin came less than a month after the United States bridled at Putin's missile plan, saying U.S. defense capabilities remain "unmatched" and "second to none." 

The U.S. Department of Defense rolled out its budget for fiscal year 2019 in late February, asking Congress for 716 billion U.S. dollars for arms purchases and a staff expansion.