Members of a Chinese honor guard line up near a U.S. Air Force plane before the arrival of U.S. President Barack Obama at the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Sept. 3, 2016, in Hangzhou, China, to attend the G-20 summit.
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Without specifying the details of the talks with Washington, the Russian president said he had “grounds to believe” that results may be achieved “within the next few days”.
Reuters said that Mr Putin said on Monday that an agreement with the United States on finding a way to significantly reduce the death toll in Syria could be reached in the next few days.
Besides the situation in Syria, Obama also reportedly discussed with Putin concerns over militant pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine and Russian cybersecurity crimes. “Our other partners, including Iran, will also be informed [on the progress]”, Putin added.
Obama’s meeting with Putin came as the Russian leader is playing a prominent role in the presidential campaign at home.
He said they discussed “a range of issues”, the two most important being how to cease violence in Syria and provide humanitarian relief.
“Frankly, both offensively and defensively, we have more capacity”.
He demanded Russian Federation “act responsibly” and warned against launching a “cyber arms race”, saying he didn’t want to see countries engaging in “unhealthy competition” on their capacities. “But given the gaps of trust that exist, that’s a tough negotiation”.
President Barack Obama says he has asked his staff to assess whether it would be productive for him to meet with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
“If they are taking steps aimed at deteriorating our relations and we can not evade them, there are decisions, including those of a sanctions’ character”, Putin told journalists following the G20 summit.
But the diplomatic efforts were unsuccessful, Obama said at a press conference on Monday.
Washington should “aim to find a compromise which would reflect the interests of both cooperating sides”, Putin said, adding that sometimes the United States leadership only considers its “own benefit”.
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That is why I am committed to doing all I can to ensure the United States fulfills its obligations and serves as an example to every nation on Earth of what is possible when we put our science, leadership, and ingenuity to work on behalf of humanity.
