FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they meet in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

HELSINKI (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump may meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Helsinki next spring, the daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said in its online edition on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.

Officials have started looking at possible dates for the meeting, it said.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto declined to comment on the likelihood of the meeting but said U.S. interest for it had grown.

“Things have, perhaps surprisingly, gone in a better direction,” Niinisto told the daily.

The Finnish president’s office was not immediately available for comment.

The two presidents met in Helsinki in July and the summit was followed by backlash in the United States over Trump’s cordial public tone with the Kremlin leader.