Today’s meeting rounds off an explosive trip for Trump to Europe.
President Trump will hold one-on-one talks on Monday with President Vladimir Putin, just days after the Justice Department indicted 12 Russian intelligence agents on charges of hacking the 2016 Presidential election, and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
The meeting, set to be held around midday Irish time, will be closely scrutinized by political journalists for signs of whether Mr Trump is friendlier to the President of Russia than he was to the NATO leaders or to Theresa May.
Trump caused turmoil at the NATO summit meeting last week, doing his best to uproot previously made plans and flex his country’s financial muscle.
The American president first took aim at Germany, criticising their failure to meet defence spending pledges and claiming that the country “is totally controlled by Russia.”
The president specifically called out a planned natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, Nord Stream 2, which flows under the Baltic Sea. Trump said that the energy deal makes him “sad” because Germany is “supposed to be guarding against Russia.”
In a pair of tweets sent early on Monday morning, prior to breakfast with the President and First Lady of Finland, Trump took to Twitter to blame the US for poor relations between itself and Russia in recent times, claiming that their relationship “has NEVER been worse.”
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
The official Twitter account of the Russian foreign ministry liked the tweet, shortly before posting a response saying: “We agree.”
The president branded the special counsel investigation into Russia’s election interference the “Rigged Witch Hunt.”
It was an honor to join you this morning. Thank you! https://t.co/NOUTroe8MV
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2018
In another tweet, he said he was looking forward to meeting Mr Putin and complained he would not get enough credit if the summit was a success.
“Unfortunately, no matter how well I do at the Summit, if I was given the great city of Moscow as retribution for all the sins and evils committed by Russia over the years I would return to criticism that it wasn’t good enough,” he said.
The two world leaders are scheduled to meet for a direct meeting with only their interpreters present, followed by a working lunch accompanied by advisors and a joint news conference.
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