Before the meeting of Trump and Putin: mixed feelings in Helsinki



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The day before his meeting with Russian President Putin, US President Trump arrived in Helsinki. Several thousand people took to the streets – with different goals.

By Sabine Stöhr, ARD Studio Moscow, cz. Helsinki

According to official figures, about 1500 people attended the largest event in Helsinki. The Human Rights Organization "Helsinki Calling" and Amnesty International have organized it. The protesters denounced the violations of human rights and press freedom – especially in the United States and Russia.

Even 33-year-old Finn Vera regards Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as a threat to international security. "We should be worried at the international level about what they are inflicting on the world – in terms of human rights, peace and security and also the climate – these are two people we do not want to see anymore. . " Otto, 27, a native of Helsinki, demonstrates "we are against the policies that represent Trump and Putin and that they do not approve of them".

Up to 1500 journalists expected

Even more than ten other demonstrations in the center of the Finnish capital – also one of the right populists "True Finland", who campaigned for Trump. All events and events were peaceful. Security officials from across the country came to the capital to ensure the meeting as a whole.

Police expect that up to 1,500 journalists will attend the media event. The inhabitants of Helsinki look at him with mixed feelings. An elderly man says that Finland can now prove its role as mediator between East and West. "I'm happy because both can be frightened by their respective rhetoric, and it's good that they finally have the opportunity to talk to each other."

The media quotes Putin and Trump

Helsingin Sanomat, the largest Finnish daily, does not address the Finns before the meeting: on screens and at bus stops, she also placed quotations from newspapers in Russian. For example: "Putin is still doing democracy". She shoots US President Trump with phrases such as: "Trump calls the media" enemies of the people "."

The presidential meeting is unlikely to affect that. The mayor of Helsinki, Jan Vapaavuori, is trying to be ready for everything: "If anything in this world is unpredictable, then it is the result of this summit."

Trump already in Helsinki

Trump is already in the evening arrived in Helsinki. Vladimir Putin and the US president want to meet around noon in the Finnish presidential palace. The summit is the first between the US president and Russia. Up to now, the two have seen each other only twice and have telephoned several times

And there is much to be said: from international security to the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to the very tense relations between the United States and the United States. United and Russia. However, the meeting is eclipsed by the charge of US justice against twelve Russian intelligence agents. They allegedly hacked the computers of the Democrats during the 2016 US presidential elections and thus influenced the elections. The Kremlin rejects the allegations.

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