Helsinki summit meeting is scheduled for Trump and Putin

MOSCOW – President Trump plans to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16 for face-to-face talks, the White House said Thursday, a politically sensitive meeting that will take place as Special advocate continues to investigate possible links of Trump's campaign with Russia.

This will be the first formal summit meeting for Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin, who have twice met on the sidelines of annual world leaders' gatherings, and he will come "The two leaders will discuss relations between the United States and Russia, as well as a whole host of national security issues, "the White House said in a statement. 19659002] The Helsinki Talks, to be held following a NATO summit in Brussels on July 11 and 12, could exacerbate US relations with European allies while easing tensions. with Russia.

Trump this week sent his national security adviser, John R. Bolton, to Moscow, where he met Wednesday with Putin.

"Russia continues to say that they had nothing to do with Meddling in our election!" Mr. Trump wrote

The potential of such a high-level meeting has preoccupied some American allies in Europe, particularly because of recent tensions between the Trump administration and the allies traditional Americans, including Canada, France and Germany. Wednesday, Mr Trump said that it was important to hear with Russia and other countries.

But a meeting with Mr. Putin and the improvement of relations between the United States and Russia have long been priorities For Mr. Trump

At the beginning of the presidential campaign, before d & # 39; Having obtained the Republican nomination, Mr Trump said that he thought that Mr Putin and he were going to get away with it.

"I think I would hear very well with Vladimir Putin," Mr. Trump said in the summer of 2015.

Trump also said that he would consider "going to school". invite Mr Putin to the White House, which would be the first visit of the Russian leader since 2005.