Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes his expected meeting with his US counterpart Donald Trump will be constructive, as he himself told the Vesti v Subbotu (Saturday News) with Sergei Brilev show. The full interview is set to be broadcast on Rossiya 24 on Saturday, TASS reported.

"He is a serious-minded person who knows how to listen to people and respond to their arguments. This leads me to believe that dialogue may prove to be constructive," Putin said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov earlier told TASS that the Foreign Ministry was making comprehensive preparations for a meeting between the Russian and US presidents. He added that such a meeting was necessary for launching the process of improving relations between Moscow and Washington. According to Ryabkov, the US shares this stance.