E-Paper
US-Russia summit Highlights: Trump hails ‘deeply productive’ talks with Putin
Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a historic summit on Monday vowing their determination to forge a reset of troubled relations between the world’s greatest nuclear powers.After two hours alone in a room with their interpreters, Trump and Putin convened a more traditional-style bilateral meeting, seated at a large conference table surrounded by senior officials from both countries. Trump called the private talks with the Kremlin leader a “good start”.
Here are the live updates:
9:00 PM IST
Russia probe ‘disaster for our country’: Trump
At press conference with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump calls probe of Russian election meddling ‘a disaster for our country’.
Putin offers to interrogate 12 named in US indictments but calls claims of collusion with Trump campaign ‘nonsense’.
Trump says ‘I don’t see any reason why’ Russia would interfere in 2016 election.
8:53 PM IST
Trump addresses press conference
Trump says had a deeply productive dialogue. Congratulates Putin for hosting a successful World Cup.
Trump says US, Russia must find ways to ‘cooperate in pursuit of shared interests’.
He says he will take a political risk for peace rather than risk peace for politics.
8:50 PM IST
Putin says Trump raised the issue of Russian meddling in US elections
“Moscow never interfered, will never interfere in internal US electoral process,” Putin said.
He said if “any such material, if such things arise, we are ready to discuss them together.”
8:46 PM IST
Putin addresses press conference
Putin says summit with Trump ‘very successful, useful’.
He mentions about Korean peninsula and says they are “glad” issues with North Korea “are starting to resolve.”
8:43 PM IST
Press conference begins
President Trump holds a joint press conference with the Russian President Vladimir Putin after bilateral meet .
7:07 PM IST
Trump declares ‘very good start’ to Putin summit
Trump declared his summit with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has begun well, after they met one-on-one for two hours.
“I think it’s a good start: very, very good start for everybody,” Trump said in response to reporters as the leaders were joined by senior officials for further discussions.
6:41 PM IST
Activists protest in Helsinki
Activists used Monday’s summit to hold two days of high-profile protests in the Finnish capital over a variety of grievances.
Abortion-rights activists dressed up in bulging bellies and Trump masks. Anti-fascist protesters carried signs with expletive-laden insults. Free traders, anti-war Ukrainians, environmentalists and rainbow flag-waving gay rights supporters all vied for attention from the world’s media.
5:30 PM IST
Putin, Trump to hold another bilateral meet: White House
Happening Now: President Trump has a 1:1 bilateral meeting with President Putin. Later they will hold an expanded bilateral meeting and a joint press conference.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 16, 2018
5:05 PM IST
One-on-one meeting between Trump, Putin underway
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting privately, joined only by translators, in the Finnish Presidential Palace.
4:54 PM IST
Putin says time has come to talk in substantive way
Russian President Vladimir Putin says, “The time has to come to talk in a substantive way.”
4:50 PM IST
Hope for extraordinary relationship: Trump
Trump says hopes for ‘extraordinary relationship’ as summit starts with Putin.
“I really think the world wants to see us get along,” says Donald Trump.
4:45 PM IST
Trump and Putin meet
Trump and Putin open their first ever summit in Finnish capital Helsinki.
4:38 PM IST
Trump arrives at Finnish palace for Putin summit
Donald Trump arrives at Finland’s Presidential Palace for the summit with the Russian President. Putin arrived minutes earlier at the palace in Helsinki for the summit.
4:00 PM IST
‘We agree,’ tweets Russian foreign ministry to Trump’s remark on US-Russia relations
We agree https://t.co/7l087Qwmj3
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) July 16, 2018
3:37pm IST
Putin lands in Helsinki
Russian president Vladimir Putin’s plane lands in Helsinki, about half hour behind schedule for his summit meeting with Trump.
VIDEO: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in the Finnish capital Helsinki for a historic summit with US leader Donald Trump #TrumpPutin pic.twitter.com/DJBPflrj7u
— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 16, 2018
3:15pm IST
Melania Trump, Finnish first lady have a ‘good conversation’
US first lady Melania Trump says she and her Finnish counterpart had a “good conversation about issues facing our nations.” In a tweet, Melania thanked you Jenni Haukio for hosting her. The first ladies met separately over breakfast while their husbands held talks.
1:28pm IST
Trump says will do ‘just fine’
Responding to reporters who asked him what he had to say to say Putin, Trump says, “We’ll do just fine, thank you.”
1:14pm IST
‘NATO has never been stronger’
Ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin, Trump says NATO military alliance has never been stronger or more unified.“NATO’s never been stronger. NATO has never been more together,” he said at a breakfast meeting with the Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. US allies “are now agreeing to pay” their fair share, Trump added.
1:00pm IST
Trump arrives to meet Finnish president
Trump has arrived at the the Mantyniemi Residence in Helsinki, where he and first lady Melania Trump were greeted by President Sauli Niinisto and his wife. “It is the common duty of Europe and China, America and Russia, not to destroy this order but to improve it, not to start trade wars which turn into hot conflict so often in our history,” European Council President Donald Tusk.
12:50pm IST
EU urges Trump, Putin to not destroy world order
A senior European official urges US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and China to work with Europe to avoid trade wars and prevent conflict and chaos.
12:30pm IST
Trump in Helsinki, says ties with Russia ‘worse’
US president Donald Trump who arrived in Helsinki on Monday morning, said ties with Russia have never been worse. He also blamed Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Moscow’s election interference for poor relations between the US and Russia, rather than the Kremlin activities that the Department of Justice began probing in 2016.
Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2018
