But while Putin would like to have a meeting, none has been scheduled, he said.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama and Putin might meet in New York, though he could not confirm any actual plans.
"Certainly, there is the possibility that the two leaders could meet while they`re there, because they are likely to be there at the same time," he said.
Putin is due to arrive in New York on September 28 to address the UN General Assembly.
Obama and Putin last met in November 2014 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing.
The Ukraine conflict that erupted last year has led to the worst stand-off in U.S.-Russian relations since the Cold War.
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