Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama likely to meet at APEC summit

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin could hold a meeting with his American counterpart Barack Obama at Friday`s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, the Kremlin announced.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that the two leaders could meet at the summit one way or another, although no formal arrangements had been made, Efe news reported.

"A bilateral meeting was not agreed on separately yet with the US side. Obviously, they will cross paths on the sidelines of the summit one way or another," Peskov said, according to Sputnik International.

Putin will travel to Peru to participate in the summit that is scheduled to begin on Friday, but will not seize the opportunity to visit other countries in the region, according to the spokesman.

The relationship between Putin and Obama has never been smooth but it has worsened in recent years, mainly because of the Syrian war and Moscow`s intervention in the Ukrainian conflict and the Russian annexation of the Crimean peninsula.