Russian president says US initiated Trump-Putin meeting, chose venue

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that the United States was the initiator for the planned meeting between him and US President Donald Trump, with the venue for the summit also being selected by the American side.

He made these remarks following his participation in the congress of the Russian Geographical Society, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

Putin explained that during their last telephone conversation, the proposal for both the meeting and its location came from the US, and he expressed his agreement while emphasising the need for thorough preparation to ensure the meeting would be productive. He suggested that it would be a mistake for either side to approach the summit lightly or allow it to proceed without achieving the expected outcomes.

Commenting on Trump's decision to cancel the meeting in Budapest, Putin indicated that the cancellation was likely a postponement rather than a cancellation. He noted that Trump also agreed on the importance of careful preparation and mentioned that several officials from the current US administration would be involved in organising the summit.

By Sabina Mammadli