Putin says he is "ready to go to Washington" and invited Trump to Moscow

Vladimir Putin said Friday" ready to travel to Washington "to meet Donald Trump and badured he invited the US president to Moscow, after a first summit that provoked a torrent of criticism in the United States.

"We are ready to invite President Trump to Moscow, he has this invitation, I have him I'm ready to go to Washington, "Putin said at a press conference in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the Brics summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).

"But I repeat again, (only) if the appropriate conditions for working They are set up there, "he warned.

These meetings with Mr. Trump are" useful ", he said. "Contacts at the highest political level are necessary," he said, baduring that the two leaders "can not discuss everything by phone."

Originally planned for the fall in Washington, the next summit Trump-Putin will finally take place "next year," announced Wednesday the White House.

Reason invoked: the investigation into the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in the United States and on suspicion of Collusion between the team of the candidate Trump and the Kremlin of Vladimir Putin, described as "witch hunt" by the White House, must previously be cordoned off so as not to interfere with trade.

M. Putin, however, spoke Friday "possible contacts in international forums" while the two presidents are expected to peaks in November in the Pacific (Apec) and Argentina for the G20.

M. Putin also praised his US counterpart: "President Trump's great quality is that he seeks to fulfill his promises to American voters."

On July 16 in Helsinki, MM. Putin and Trump displayed a rare unity during their joint press conference, notably on accusations of Russian interference in the US presidential election, rejected by Moscow.

This much-anticipated first summit provoked an uproar in the United States where the statements of the American president were judged to be too conciliatory towards his Russian counterpart

"No matter the difficulties, which here are difficulties in the domestic political life of the United States, life goes on and our contacts are continuing, "said Putin Friday.

According to the Russian Ambbadador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, the two men had a good discussion of eastern Ukraine during their talks, and Vladimir Putin has put forward "concrete proposals."

Among them, reported the news agency Bloomberg, is the organization of a referendum in the separatist regions of the East to end the conflict. It would deal with the status of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, which are beyond the control of Kiev.

Asked about this idea already rejected by Washington, Mr. Putin declined Friday to comment: "This is a subject very sensitive, which must be studied and worked more. "

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