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HELSINKI – President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Monday that the two leaders discussed Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential campaign, the Russian leader denied that his government tried to sabotage the election and Trump offered little pushback to the autocrat's claims.
Concluding their first formal one-one-one summit here Monday, Trump said his message regarding the Russian interference "was a message best delivered in person" during the meeting, during which the two leaders "spent a great deal of time" discussing the Kremlin's interference. Putin insisted that the "Russian state has never interfered and is not going to interfere in internal American affairs," and Trump declined to dispute his assertions, instead saying Putin "has an interesting idea" about the issue of interference.
There was no collusion, "Trump said at a joint news conference with Putin. "I did not know the president. There was nobody to collude with. There was no collusion with the campaign. "
Trump said that he holds" both countries responsible "for the" frayed relations between the two nations "and" attacked special counsel "Robert S. Mueller III's investigation, calling it a" disaster for our country. "
Putin later confirmed that he did not want to talk about Trump to win in 2016," because he talked about normalizing relations "between Russia and the United States.
Appearing at the joint news conference with Putin after the talks in the Finnish capital Ended, Trump said he and Putin discussed their disagreements "at length." He added: "Our relationship has never been worse than it is now. However, that changed, as of about the time. "
The summit began after Trump blamed his own country, rather than Russia, for the hostilities between their two nations.
Speaking first at the news conference, Putin said adding "I think we can call it a success." He said that bilateral relations have been "going through a complicated stage," there was "no solid reason" for that. "The Cold War is a thing of the past," he said.
He added that Trump "mentioned the so-called interference of Russia in the American election" in 2016. Putin again denied any involvement by the Russian state and said
Putin said, "I think it's a good idea to have a problem with a criminal investigation." In the United States on the subject of interference
In response to questions, Trump said that both countries were blame for the deterioration of relations. "I do not think we've made some mistakes," he said. He added that "there was no collusion" between his country and Russia, and he lamented that the special counsel has investigated the matter has had an impact on US-Russian relations.
country, "he said. It was ridiculous what was going on with the probe. TV reporters doing their stand-ups.
Seated alongside Trump congratulated Russia on successful hosting the World Cup soccer tournament, which concluded Sunday, then noted that the United States and They have not been getting along too much for the last number of years. "
" Getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing, "Trump said," Putin slouched in his flesh. Trump added that the "world wants to see us getting along."
Trump said before the closed-door meeting that he and Putin had a "lot of good things to talk about, and things to talk about," including trade, Military issues, nuclear proliferation and China, in particular their "mutual friend," Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump did not mention Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. [19659018[PutinwhospokebeforeTrumpmadehisopeningremarkssaidtotheUSpresident:"OfcoursethetimehascometospeakextensivelyaboutourbilateralrelationsandvariousproblemsaroundtheworldThereareenoughofthemthatweshouldpayattentiontothem"
The meeting began later, after the perennially tardy. The one-on-one meeting It was first scheduled to take 90 minutes
The two leaders then went on to an expanded meeting that included top aids. Trump, responding to a question from a reporter, said: "I think it's a good start.
[Putin’s Helsinki showmanship starts with his limo]
Although most U.S. officials argue that Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, use of a nerve agent on British soil and aggression in Ukraine and Syria have worsened relations, Trump instead faulted "U.S. foolishness and stupidity "in tweets Monday morning, the expansive Justice Department investigation into Russia's election intrusion.
" Our relationship with Russia has become more and more powerful, the Rigged Witch Hunt ! "Trump tweeted Monday morning as he prepares for his meeting with Putin.
Trump is facing immense pressure to aggressively confront Putin over Russia's election interference, especially after the Justice Department indicted 12 Russian intelligence officials Friday and stokes them with hacking and stealing Democratic emails, as part of a broad subterfuge operation that US intelligence agencies believe sent to Trump.
But Trump's comments Monday were in sync with the argument Putin and his government have long made of the Obama administration – which polls you peatedly has denied – inflamed tensions between the two nuclear superpowers. The Russian Foreign Ministry's Twitter account retweeted Trump's "U.S. foolishness and stupidity "tweet and said," We agree. "
Trump – who has been reticent to criticize Putin and has said he admires the Russian autocrat 's leadership style and strongman image – began their meeting shortly after 2 pm ( 7 am Eastern time) at the Presidential Palace, a neoclassical residence facing Helsinki's heavily touristed Baltic Sea waterfront. They were originally scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. here (6 th.m. ET).
But Putin arrived later than expected in Helsinki on Monday and did not disembark from his plane until after 1 p.m., delaying the scheduled start time of the summit. Putin is known for his frequent tardiness; President Barack Obama waited 45 minutes for one of their meetings.
The two leaders first met alone, with interpreters present but without their advisers. They were joined by their delegations for a working lunch, which was followed by a joint press. Trump then will fly to Washington.
Trump is joined in Helsinki by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser John Bolton, chief of staff John F. Kelly and other advisers, including National Security Council Russia expert Fiona Hill. 19659029] Earlier in his Europe trip, Trump told reporters he would raise the issue of interference with Putin, but he said he would not be too stern, saying he assumes Putin will deny responsibility, and then they would move on to other topics.
In another Monday morning tweet, Trump sought to pin blame for the matter on Obama.
"President Obama thought that Crooked Hillary was going to win the election, so when he was informed by the FBI about Russian Meddling, he said it could not happen, was not big deal, & did NOTHING about it. When I won it became a big deal and the Rigged Witch Hunt headed by Strzok! "Trump wrote, referencing first 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and then FBI agent Peter Strzok, who testified before Congress in a combative hearing last week.
Trump arrived with first lady Melania Trump in Helsinki late Sunday, after spending the weekend golfing at her property in Scotland. Aboard Air Force One, the President of the United States of America on the rise of the world.
"Unfortunately, no matter how well I do at the Summit, if I was given the city of Moscow as retribution for all of the sins and evils committed by Russia over the years, I would have returned to criticism that it was not good enough – that I should have gotten Saint Petersburg in addition! "Trump wrote.
And after a week of denigrating the US news media on foreign soil, Trump continues in his tweetstorm: "Much of our news is the enemy of the people and the Dems know how to resist and obstruct! "
Trump began his day in this Nordic capital by meeting Finnish President Sauli Niinisto for breakfast, along with their wives. When asked about his message for Putin, Trump replied, "We'll do just fine."
Trump also touted the unity of NATO, saying the treaty alliance of 29 nations is a Western bulwark against an expansionist Russia, "
Last week in Brussels, Trump upended the NATO summit with demands that European allies increase their defense spending commitments. On Monday in Helsinki, Trump is claimed for the hands of his counterparts. "He was a little bit tough at the beginning," he said, "but it turned out to be love."
Putin was set to land in Helsinki around noon local time with fresh momentum after presiding over the final World Cup in Moscow, a tournament that many observers – including Trump – hailed as a success
Beyond spreading a positive image of Russia, the World Cup also gave Putin a chance to exercise his diplomatic chops ahead of the Helsinki summit a revolving door of visiting world leaders. On Sunday alone, Putin puts with French President Emmanuel Macron; Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban; Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic; and Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani
Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ali Akbar Velayati, top Iran Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stoking speculation that Putin would discuss Iran's presence in Syria with Trump.
Russian officials have kept expectations low, emphasizing that the very fact of the meeting is an important step forward after years of tensions between Moscow and Washington. Ahead the summit, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Trump's pragmatism in an interview with pro-Kremlin broadcaster RT.
"Our president is very pragmatic, very open and consistent," Peskov said, referring to Putin, according to the Interfax news agency . "He always says that the interests of Russia and the people of Russia are the main thing to him. And so he respects the fact that Donald Trump has the same attitude to his country. "
For Putin, the setting of the summit provides something of a home-turf advantage. Although Finland is a member of the European Union and is a neutral nation, it borders Russia and is familiar to Putin, as Helsinki is just up the Bay of Finland from his hometown of St. Petersburg.
This vibrant Nordic capital, which in the summertime glistens with sunlight late into the evening, holds significant resonance for US-Russia affairs as a neutral site for leaders of the two countries to meet.
In 1990, then-President George HW Bush puts in Helsinki with-then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to a unified front against Iraqi-President Saddam Hussein amid escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf. And in 1997, then-President Bill Clinton and then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin held a two-day summit of states to discuss the control of the Soviet Union
Trump has said he has low expectations for Monday's summit with Putin and heads into the world of pre-scripted outcomes. Rather, he sees the meeting as a chance to build a better relationship with Putin and foster warmer relations between the United States and Russia.
"Right now, there is no trust in the relationship, and because of that, problem-solving is practically impossible, "US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman said Sunday on NBC's" Meet the Press. "" So this is an attempt to see if we can defeat and take some of the drama, and quite frankly some of the danger, out of the relationship right now. "
Trump and his advisers sought after the expectations of the summit, which is expected to include discussions on the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, a Reagan-era arms-control agreement and the prospect of extending
The President of the United States, President of the United States of America, in a meeting with the President of the United States . Deliverable "
Back in Washington, lawmakers From Both parts-have implored Trump to aggressively confront Putin
." President Trump shoulds-have only one post for Putin [on Monday]: Quit messing with America, "Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) Said on Twitter early Monday, arguing that Trump should not be "dignifying" the president by granting a meeting.
Clinton tweeted "Question for President Trump as he [Putin'salliessaythatlastFriday'sindictmentsrepresentedthelatesteffortbytheWashingtonestablishmenttoderailTrump'sefforttoimproverelationswithRussia
"It seems to us Opposites of the improvement of the US-Russia relations, "which is being kept afloat artificially", "Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said ahead of the summit, according to Interfax.
William Branigin in Washington contributed to this report.
Read more:
How the Kremlin turned Putin into a global icon
Trump's extremely defensive interview about Russia and Putin
Why Trump can not beat Putin at his own game
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