UPDATE: Putin, Trump to have phone conversation on Saturday

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WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (PRIME) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin will talk with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump by phone on Saturday in the evening, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

“Putin has in mind to congratulate Trump with taking the position of the U.S. president. And naturally, there is usually an exchange of opinions regarding the key features of the current state of the bilateral relations during such contacts,” Peskov said.

“I confirm the information – disseminated by media in the U.S. – that a phone conversation between the U.S. and Russian presidents is slated for the upcoming weekend. Indeed, a phone conversation is scheduled for Saturday. This will be evening, Moscow time,” he said.

NBC correspondent Hallie Jackson said earlier citing a source in a post in her Twitter blog that Trump and Putin are expected to talk by phone this weekend. Reuters later reported that the phone call is expected on Saturday, citing a Kremlin source.

Peskov also said that the presidential administration is unaware of any possible U.S. plans to ease the anti-Russian sanctions.

“No, nothing about this is known. And as far as I understand, the information is impersonal, I do not know to what extent it corresponds with the reality,” he said, commenting on a report by editor of Politico Susan Glasser that the Trump administration is preparing an order to ease the sanctions.

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