Russian President Vladimir Putin told the crowd at the BRICS summit in South Africa on Friday that he invited President Donald Trump to Moscow and would accept Trump's invitation to Washington.

Putin said phone calls between the leaders wouldn't suffice, and the leaders had to meet in person, according to Reuters.

Previously, a Kremlin aide had poured cold water on the idea of a second meeting between the leaders after Trump invited Putin to Washington just three days after the summit, saying they should wait or meet in a group.

Trump wants to host Putin at the White House next year, but would go to Moscow sooner if formally invited, the White House said.

Russian Vladimir Putin told the crowd at the BRICS summit in South Africa on Friday that he invited President Donald Trump to Moscow and would accept Trump's invitation to Washington.

Trump and Putin met in Helsinki, Finland earlier in July, during which Trump appeared to side with Putin's assessment of Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election over that of his own intelligence officials.

Trump later said he misspoke, and that the reverse of his comments were true, but that came after an intense spike of domestic criticism and two of his top intelligence officials hinting they may resign.

Putin said phone calls between the leaders wouldn't suffice, and the leaders had to meet in person, according to Reuters.

"President Trump looks forward to having President Putin to Washington after the first of the year, and he is open to visiting Moscow upon receiving a formal invitation," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told The Hill's Jordan Fabian.

Previously, a Kremlin aide had poured cold water on the idea of a second meeting between the leaders after Trump invited Putin to Washington just three days after the summit.

The aide said the Kremlin would prefer to "let the dust settle" after the first meeting, and that the leaders could meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders summit, slated to take place at the end of November.