Kremlin says Putin, Trump to speak ‘briefly’ in Paris

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Vladimir Putin will speak “briefly” with Donald Trump when the two presidents meet in Paris this weekend for World War I centenary events, an advisor for the Russian leader said Wednesday.

“It has been agreed that the leaders of the US and Russia will talk only briefly in Paris, it will be a standing meeting,” foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov said, Russian news agencies reported.

The prospect of a full meeting between Putin and Trump had prompted huge international media interest, the advisor said, adding that the French organisers had expressed concern this could overshadow the commemorations.

The pair were set for a more detailed discussion during the G20 summit in Argentina at the end of the month, to be confirmed after Paris, Ushakov said.

Trump said Monday he did not expect to hold talks with Putin during the November 11 events, which 60 heads of state and government are expected to attend.

Expectations have been growing for a new Trump-Putin meeting as tensions pile up over the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and US sanctions against Moscow.

Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton indicated during a trip to Moscow in October that the White House wanted a Paris meeting and Putin said he was interested.

A first bilateral summit between the two leaders took place in Helsinki in July, after which Trump came under strong domestic criticism for adopting a distinctly conciliatory tone despite his own security services’ warning that Russia meddled in US elections.