The offers from Bern and Belgrade come as US President-elect Donald Trump seeks to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his war in Ukraine.
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00:00Switzerland and Serbia are reportedly willing to host a meeting between US President Donald
00:07Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
00:10Nicholas Bedot, head of communications for the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs, said
00:15Ukraine, Russia and the US have been regularly informed of Switzerland's availability to
00:20support diplomatic efforts to establish peace.
00:23Serbia's President Alexander Vucic said his country would also offer to host a meeting
00:28between Trump and Putin.
00:30However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no preliminary preparation was in place yet.
00:37Trump's incoming national security adviser, on the other hand, told ABC that a meeting
00:42between Trump and Putin was being prepared.
00:45Well, we haven't set the exact framework for it yet.
00:49We're working on that.
00:50But I do expect a call at least in the coming days and weeks.
00:59An outstanding warrant for Putin from the International Criminal Court would be an obstacle
01:04to the potential meeting.
01:07Switzerland or Serbia would be legally obliged to arrest Putin.
01:11However, the Swiss Federal Council reportedly has the authority to grant exceptions in situations
01:17involving peace negotiations.
01:21President Donald Trump, who has criticised US aid for Ukraine's war effort and publicly
01:24commented at the US potentially reconsidering NATO membership, has sparked concern amongst
01:29allies and security experts.
01:34The US President-elect has vowed to bring Kiev and Moscow to the negotiating table,
01:38at one point claiming he could end the war within a day.