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President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in a presidential palace in Helsinki for their first summit.
Trump and Putin began individual talks on Monday at an exceptionally difficult time, days after justice. Department has indicted 12 Russian intelligence agents on hacking charges of the presidential campaign of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton. But Trump blamed the United States for tensions between countries, not Russia.
Speaking briefly with the journalists before the two men hid behind closed doors, Trump said "we will have discussions on everything from trade to the military". He did not mention the interference of Russia in the 2016 elections that brought Trump to power.
The meeting will close a weeklong trip to Europe in which Trump has shown his disgust for diplomatic standards: he caused turmoil at NATO 's summit and at the time. a visit to Britain demanding that allies spend more on defense, saying that Prime Minister Theresa May mismanaged the exit of the European Union, the Brexit, advising her to prosecute the EU bloc an "enemy" trade.
Monday's meeting will be examined closely to see if Trump is more favorable to his Russian counterpart than to NATO leaders or in May. Putin, as usual, was late and was waiting for the US president
Putin proposed the meeting in March during a phone call with Trump, and US officials said the Russian leader was desperate for Washington to relax the sanctions of his country. economy and oligarchs.
United States Observers on both sides of the political wing fear that Trump, who does not like political briefings and said that he did not need any preparation for the meeting, could easily be manipulated by Putin, a former intelligence agent that Trump refused to criticize directly. Trump began the day of the meeting by accusing the United States for its bad relations with Russia, throwing slander on the federal inquiry into the Moscow cyberattack on the 2016 presidential. Trump blames the United States for Tensions with Russia
He stated that he felt "very good" about his meeting with Putin.
In a pair of tweets sent Monday before going to Mantyniemi Palace, a residence of the Finnish president, Trump twice scored the Special Advisor's investigation. in the election interference of Russia "Rigged Witch Hunt." This investigation, and "many years of American nonsense and nonsense," he wrote, are the reason why the US & # 39; He did not mention the factors generally cited in the West as causes of friction with Moscow: the annexation of Crimea by Russia, its support for the rebels in Ukraine and the Assad regime in Syria . , his interference in US and other country elections, and the poisonings of nerve agents in England that the British government said the Kremlin was behind.
The President's tweet drew praise and a "like" Trump also blasted former President Barack Obama for the second day in a row, tweeting that his predecessor had not managed to intervene to stop the piracy of Russia because it "thought that Crooked Hillary was going to win the elections."
The posts suggested that Trump, who never directly condemned Putin for the electoral interference and cast doubt on the fact that he even agreed with the conclusion of his own intelligence community that he was realized by Moscow, did not change his position following last week 's indictment of 12 Russian agents in the attack.
Trump said that he will ask Putin about the interference during their talks, but that he does not expect the Russian president to admit guilt and that the issue is above all an obstacle to his desire to improve relations between the United States and Russia. Trump quotes trade and nuclear weapons as items on the agenda, but not electoral interference
Trump said, moments before he and Putin begin their meeting. A private meeting, that trade and the reduction of nuclear arsenals of their nations would be at the top of the agenda.
But he did not mention the issue that held him at home, the Russian interference in the 2016 elections. A few days ago, the Justice Ministry indicted 12 Russian intelligence agents for hacking aimed at influencing the election.
He also did not mention the annexation of Crimea by Russia nor the allegations of a nerve agent on British soil. We will have discussions on everything from trade to nuclear and nuclear, "and" a bit about China – our mutual friend, President Xi, "said Trump, while Putin and he posed for photos before go in camera. I think we have great opportunities as two countries that, frankly, we do not get along too well, "he said, amidst three US flags and three Russian flags." I think the world really wants to see us hear. "
" We are the two major nuclear powers, "said Trump." We have 90% of the nuclear, and that's not a good thing, that's what it is. Is a bad thing. "
He also hailed the organization by Russia of the Football World Cup, which ended on Sunday.
Congratulate you for a very good Cup of the World, one of the best ever made, "Trump said. "It was beautifully done, so congratulations."
He said that Putin and he would meet first individually, then with counselors.
After criticizing NATO allies, Trump says they're "out of control." Trump, who denigrated US allies at the NATO meeting last week, tweeted Monday that he had "received many calls from NATO country leaders thanking me" for have put pressure on other nations to spend more on their armies. 19659002] He did not appoint leaders or their countries.
The President was also short of details on his request Thursday that, in response to his requests, other member countries have pledged major increases in military spending. He did not name the countries, given dollar amounts or schedules.
The official communiqué of the meeting committed the countries to the same spending increases that they had accepted four years ago, and the President of France and the Trump said that no new commitments were made. 39 was taken.
Trump destabilized the alliance – even seeming to suggest behind closed doors, according to some diplomats, that the United States could withdraw from it – in a way that, according to analysts, could benefit to Putin.
But in his tweet, Trump called the summit "really awesome" and "improperly covered by much of the media."
And at a breakfast Monday with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Trump said his tactics were just the hard love needed to strengthen the alliance.
"I enjoyed being with you a few days ago," Trump told Niinisto. "I think NATO has never been so strong – it was a little hard at first, but it turned out to be love." appreciated your support. "
We did not know what support Trump was referring to. Niinisto attended the NATO meeting, but Finland is not a member of NATO, so he would not have been able to help the president to push no more military spending.
For Putin, a Russian jet, a late
Vladimir Putin arrived in Finland aboard an Ilyushin-96 from Moscow and went to Helsinki in his new Russian-made limousine, even bigger than the US President's state car, known as "Beast."
The Russian national airline, Aeroflot, and other Russian carriers for the most part dropped Russian jets years ago and now fly aircraft manufactured in the United States by Boeing and in Europe by Airbus. But Putin, who has invested billions of dollars to support the aviation industry of Russia, remained faithful to the Ilyushin, a Soviet model
As often happens with the Russian leader, Putin ran later. 1 pm – leaving Trump cool his heels in his guest house for nearly an hour after his scheduled time to leave for the palace. They shook hands in front of the cameras before starting private talks, an hour late.
The protesters are grieved by the two presidents
There is no giant ball describing Trump as a big angry baby. in diapers in the Finnish capital as there was in London last week and in Edinburgh on Saturday. In Helsinki, the last stop on Trump's tour of Europe, he must be the target of ridicule and protest rage against Putin.
Shortly before the arrival of Trump in Finland, thousands of protesters marched through the center of Helsinki. "Trump-Putin – the two-headed monster", read a hand-painted sign by Paulina Pepaola, a Finnish woman who joined the march of a park. near Central Station instead of Senate.
"I am totally against both," she said. "They work together: Putin controls Trump."
Tapio Waren, a businessman in the construction industry, said: "Everyone has policies so terrible that it is difficult to say who is worse. "
More than 280 billboards Putin and Trump are the enemies of the freedom of the press. "Dear Mr. President, welcome to the country of press freedom", reads a giant digital sign between English and Russian
A rally on the Senate Square brings together defenders of rights, supporters of the press Ukraine and opponents of the President. Syria, LGBT rights advocates, #MeToo activists and evangelical Christians. The only thing in common was their shared dismay that Helsinki was hosting the first formal summit between two unpopular leaders of this kind.
"Trump and Putin are not welcome in Helsinki, go home," reads a banner unfurled in front of the colonnade entrance of Helsinki Cathedral, which dominates the square. 19659002] Not everyone was inhospitable.A Russian-Finnish friendship association, RUFI, announced that it would hold its own rally on the Senate Square on Monday to welcome Putin and Trump, and "to show our senior guests that everyone in Finland does not have a negative opinion of world leaders. But Trump is less popular in Finland than Putin
Juho Rahkosen, a pollster in Finland who says he supports some of Trump's policies, wishes he had better news for him but can not ignore the numbers: The American leader is so deeply unpopular in Finland – a Nordic nation of 5.5 million – that even Putin has more fans.
A survey commissioned by Seura magazine and conducted by Taloustutkimus, a leading Finnish polling organization, found that 83% of Finns – and 91% of Finnish women – have a negative opinion of Trump versus 75% for Putin [19659002] "I am ashamed to have a guest in our country while I am publishi Rahkosen, the director of Taloustutkimus research
Even supporters of the Finns, a populist and anti-immigrant political party formerly known as True Finns, do not like Trump, although they are slightly "Unfortunately, Finland has extremely negative attitudes towards Trump – I am afraid it will can not do much about it, "added Rahkosen, noting that Trump displays" somewhat "the opposite" of measured honesty, discipline and trust in global institutions that Finns expect in a leader .
The stakes are so high that some assets are holding their breath
That Trump and Putin The fact that Trump is losing the admiration of Putin, his exhortation to the recent meeting of the Group of Seven that Russia be readmitted. Despite its annexation of Crimea and its efforts to downplay US intelligence on the impact of Moscow cyberattacks on the 2016 elections, foreign policy experts and some in the White House are wondering what it can give to Putin – deliberately or inadvertently. Coats, the director of national intelligence, on Friday likened the danger of Russian cyber attacks to warnings that the United States had increased terrorist threats before the September 11 attacks. "The lights are blinking red again," said Coats. "The digital infrastructure that serves this country is literally attacked."
He said that Russia should be held accountable.
The allies, including Britain, are looking forward to the Helsinki meeting. "(Russia is the main suspect in an attack using a nerve agent on British soil that led to the death of a woman.)
Some analysts also note that Trump abhors the notes of information Putin will be well educated before the meeting Analysts say that the fact that the meeting is taking place is already a victory for the Russian leader
White House advisers described the summit meeting as a chance to re-establish a Tense relationship, and Trump dismissed concerns, which points to Putin's past as a hotel master, suggesting that he could manipulate the American leader.
"You know, & # 39; President Putin is the KGB, and this and that, "said Trump." You know what? Putin is fine. He is fine. We are all well. We are people. Will I be prepared? Totally prepared. I have been preparing for these things all my life. "
This article appeared in The New York Times.
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