AKIPRESS.COM - US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to speak on the phone Saturday in their first conversation since Trump took office, an administration official told CNN.

Trump has vowed to have better relations with Russia than his predecessor.

This month, he suggested he would lift sanctions imposed by the Obama administration if the Kremlin helps the US battle terrorists.

In his new year's message, Putin congratulated Trump and expressed hope their two countries would be able to "take their interaction in the international arena to a whole new level."

"Major global and regional challenges that our countries have confronted in recent years clearly confirm that Russia-US relations are an important factor in ensuring stability and security in the modern world," Putin said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week called for the "re-establishment of normal relations" between Russia and the United States under the Trump administration.

"Following the difficult relations we had under Barack Obama, President Putin is ready to meet in the interests of global security and stability," Lavrov said.