TEHRAN, July 16 - Hours before he was due to sit down for his first ever summit with Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump blamed "U.S. foolishness" for bad relations between Washington and Moscow, while the Kremlin said it expected a tough meeting.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Trump's comments show how much domestic political pressure he is under over the meeting in the Finnish capital Helsinki, while the Kremlin's low expectations reflect its belief that the fact the summit is even happening is a Russian win.
Critics and his own advisers have urged Trump to use the summit to press Putin hard about election meddling and other "malign" activities.
But hours before he was due to meet the Russian president, Trump focused his ire on his own country and the investigation into possible links between his 2016 campaign and Russia. The president has denied any collusion took place.
"Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!" wrote Trump on Twitter, referring to the investigation into possible collusion.
During a breakfast meeting with Finland's president before the meeting with Putin in the Finnish capital, Trump appeared upbeat. Asked what he would say to Putin, Trump said: "We'll do just fine, thank you."
Trump and his wife Melania returned to their hotel after the breakfast and were expected to remain there for a few hours before the afternoon summit. Putin was due in Helsinki around lunch time.
The two leaders will first meet one-on-one with only their interpreters, followed by a working lunch accompanied by advisers, and a joint news conference.
Source: Reuters
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