President Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin will talk for the second time Saturday in a phone conversation that is expected to focus on joint efforts to combat terrorism, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told CBS News in an interview Friday morning.
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The planned phone conversation, announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday, comes after months of speculation over the Kremlin’s role in the 2016 election – starting with Trump’s frequent expressions of admiration for Putin and culminating in the assessment of the US intelligence community that Russian Federation interfered in the campaign on Trump’s behalf. Critics have argued that Russia’s support of Assad has nothing to do with Islamic State fighters based there, pointing to the fact that its air war has focused on rebels around Aleppo not affiliated with the group.
About Russia and China, Trump said: “If we can have a great relationship with Russia and with China and with all countries, I’m all for that”.
He conceded, however, that neither may be a realistic goal.
The Kremlin has vehemently denied any allegations that it coordinated hacks on the U.S. election.
“The Americans, and the world, will get the Trump they elected”.
While describing Russia as a hard business environment, Trump’s son Donald Jr. touted Russian investment thirst for Trump properties.
Also, both the president can share their opinion on the civil war in Syria and what can they do to put the war-affected country in a peace zone.
Trump’s comments come after 24 hours of rumors that Trump might lift sanctions on Russian Federation unilaterally as early as this weekend.
“Trump doubled down on his statements that he does not know Putin, that he does not have a relationship with him, but he believes that if it is a positive relationship between the two countries the that certainly would be of benefit to the US”, Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, said.
However, May conveyed Britain’s objection to lifting of the sanctions that were imposed by Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama over Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
But there was no immediate word from the White House or the Kremlin about the topics that were discussed by Trump and Putin.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) also advised against weakening sanctions Friday.
“We must stand by our allies in the region, including Ukraine”, Portman, co-chairman of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, said on January 27.
He’ll also speak with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe; German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Australia Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull, in addition to talking to Putin and likely signing more executive orders.
Speaking in his characteristic scattershot style, however, Trump also said he respected Merkel, he appreciated North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and his trust of either Putin or Merkel could dissipate rapidly.
Washington’s European allies, meanwhile, have expressed concern over whether Trump’s first moves with Russian Federation will signal a reduction of the US commitment to European security.
Speaking at a press conference with Merkel in Berlin on January 27, Hollande said, “there are challenges posed by the new US administration in regards to commercial rules, in regards to the conflicts in the world”.
“We’ll see what happens”, Trump said of the call, CNN reports.
How the two will work together remains a point of intrigue considering how Trump spoke about Merkel during his campaign. May has said the sanctions should remain in place. Dimitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson confirmed about the phone call.
“Hearing Trump world has [the] text of [an] order floating around to ease Russian Federation sanctions”, she tweeted.
Relations between the two countries have been marred in recent years over various issues, including divisions on the Syrian crisis and allegations of Russian meddling into the USA elections in November of 2016. The German source said she would not necessarily follow suit.
Seibert said in a statement that Merkel and Trump stressed their intention “to further deepen the already excellent bilateral relations in the coming years”.
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Barack Obama’s administration and the European Union hit Moscow with sanctions for sending in troops and supporting pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine. “Let us be patient”.
