Tanks are seen near the government-held town of Bakhmut, Ukraine, February 7, 2017. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday it was unlikely that the situation in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists are ranged against the Ukrainian army, would be part of any deal with U.S. President Donald Trump.

When asked how preparations for a meeting between Trump and President Vladimir Putin were progressing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call: “Right now, it’s not clear what we are preparing for.”