Trump, Putin avoid election talk

News

July 15, 2018 - 11:00 PM

U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting today in Helsinki, Finland. (TNS)

HELSINKI (AP) — With a wink and a slouch, respectively, President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin opened their long-awaited summit today as the American leader declared that “the world wants to see us get along” and predicted rosy future relations. Trump laid out a list of topics for discussion that notably did not include Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

“We have not been getting along well for the last number of years,” Trump said as he and Putin sat down at the Presidential Palace in Finland’s capital. “But I think we will end up having an extraordinary relationship. … I really think the world wants to see us get along.”

Putin, for his part, said he and Trump have maintained regular contact through phone calls and meetings at international events but “the time has come to have a thorough discussion on various international problems and sensitive issues.” He added: “There are quite a few of them for us to pay attention to.”

Related
November 20, 2019
May 3, 2019
July 18, 2018
July 17, 2018