This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
U.S. President Donald Trump has again said he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at next week’s Group of 20 (G20) summit in Japan.
In an interview on June 19 with Fox News, Trump said he would meet Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the June 28-29 gathering in the city of Osaka.
“I want to get along with Russia, and I think we will. I want to get along with China, and I think we will. I’m meeting actually both of them next week in Japan at the G20,” Trump told Fox News.
On June 12, Trump told reporters at the White House that “I’ll be meeting with Putin at the G20.”
However, the Kremlin at the time said it had not received confirmation from Washington of a potential meeting.
The Kremlin did not immediately comment on Trump’s latest remarks about a potential face-to-face meeting with Putin.
Trump last met with Putin in a one-on-one setting in Helsinki in July 2018, when they dismissed top aides for a two-hour session. The meeting without U.S. aides or note-takers broke with traditional policy and was sharply criticized by Trump opponents.
Washington and Beijing have both confirmed that Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet at the G20 summit.
