President Trump Emerges From Meeting With Vladimir Putin Saying ‘It’s a very good start.”

Posted on July 16, 2018

UPDATE 8:38AM ET

Helsinki (AP) The one-on-one meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is over, with the two now joined by their respective staff members at a bi-lateral lunch.

President Trump was asked how the meeting was going so far. Mr. Trump responded, “I think it’s a very good start for everyone.

UPDATED: 8:24AM ET

Helsinki (AP) – The one-on-one meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is running overtime and has now passed the two-hour mark.

A Finnish official said the two leaders were still meeting as of 4:09 p.m., two hours after they began their meeting in the Gothic Hall of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. The White House had scheduled 90 minutes for the meeting, in which only translators are present.

It’s not the first time the presidents’ talks have gone long. In their first meeting last year, they ended up talking for more than two hours. Midway through, first lady Melania Trump was sent in to help wrap things up. Trump and Putin continued to talk for another hour.

UPDATED:  6:17AM ET

HELSINKI (AP) –  President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting privately, joined only by translators, in the Finnish Presidential Palace.

The two leaders entered the Gothic Hall with serious expressions, moving quickly to two ornate wooden chairs set before American and Russian flags. Trump sat upright as Putin appeared to lounge in his chair.

Trump deferred to Putin to make opening remarks, nodding along as his comments in Russian were translated. Trump predicted that the pair will have an “extraordinary relationship.”

Putin appeared to smirk as Trump ignored shouted questions about whether he would warn the Russian leader against meddling in the 2018 midterm elections.

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin address the press before heading behind closed doors for one-on-one meeting in Helsinki, Findland.

Kicking off summit with Russia’s Putin, Trump says “I really think the world wants to see us get along.”

Trump on Twitter this morning complained that “Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”

UPDATED: 6:05 ET

HELSINKI (AP) – President Donald Trump arrives at Finnish Presidential Palace for summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Today’s meeting, with only their interpreters present, is being closely watched on both sides of the Atlantic, coming days after the U.S. Justice Department indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for their role in hacking Democratic entities during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Original post:

HELSINKI (AP) – President Vladimir Putin has arrived late for his high-profile meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump – another display of the Russian’s leader famous lack of punctuality.

Putin’s plane touched down in Helsinki 30 minutes later than planned, pushing back the start of his one-on-one talks with Trump Monday.

In the past, Putin was late for meetings with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis, among many others.

In 2014, he was hours late for meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after his previous stop in Serbia lasted longer than usual.

Often seen as a trick to throw his interlocutors off balance, Putin’s tardy ways appear to be more of a personal trait than a well-calculated strategy.

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