U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reserved a press conference at their summit in Helsinki, Finland on Monday, where the two chairladies discussed issues ranging from Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential appointment to nuclear arms proliferation, the war in Syria and cooperation on energy.
The summit took job only days after special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian capacity officers for hacking Democrats during the 2016 presidential campaign.
During the bear on conference, President Trump declined to denounce Putin over Russian poke ones nose in in the 2016 election. In January of 2017, the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Putin requested an “influence campaign” to help Trump’s election chances by discrediting his contender, Hillary Clinton.
Trump blamed “both countries” for the strained relations between the In harmony States and Russia during Monday’s press conference, saying “the Coalesced States has been foolish.”
Here is the approximate transcript of the press symposium in full:
TRANSLATOR FOR PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: Distinguished Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, gossips with the president, Donald Trump, I think we can call it a success and rewarding round of negotiations. We carefully analyzed the current status, the present and subsequent of Russia, United States relationship, key issues of the global agenda.
It is entirely clear to everyone that the bilateral relationship are going through a confused stage, yet those impediments, current tension, tense atmosphere essentially be subjected to no solid reason behind it.
The Cold War is a thing of the past. The era of acute ideological confrontation of two countries is a residue of the past. The situation in the world changed dramatically.
Today both Russia and the Collective States face a whole new set of challenges. Those include a dangerous mal-adjustment of arrangements for security and instability, regional crises, the creeping threats of terrorism and transnational felony. It is snowballing economy and other challenges.
We can only cope with these demands if we join ranks and work together. Hopefully, we will reach this conception with our American partners.
Today’s negotiations reflected our joint fancy with President Trump to redress this negative situation in the bilateral relationship. Sanguinely, the first steps for improving this relationship to restore the acceptable equal of trust and going back to the previous level of indirection on all mutual cuts.
As nuclear powers, we bear special responsibility for maintaining international surety. It is vital, mentioned this in the negotiations, crucial that we fine coordinate global stability and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We submitted our American buddies a note with a number of specific suggestions.
We believe it necessary to duty together further, to interact on the disarmament agenda. This includes the spreading of strategic offensive arms limitation treaty. It is a dangerous situation with the far-reaching American anti-missile defense system, implementation issues with the IMF covenant and nonproliferation of weapons in space. We favor continued cooperation in counter terrorism and avowing cybersecurity. I would like to point out specifically that our special accommodations are cooperating quite successfully.
The most recent example is their deal within recently concluded football World Cup. In general, the contacts among notable services should be put to a system-wide basis, should be brought to a systemic framework. I recantation, I reminded President Trump about the suggestion to reestablish the working catalogue on anti-terrorism.
We also mentioned a plethora of regional crises, not always that our stances dovetail, and yet mutual interests abound. We have to look for points of telephone, interact closer in a variety of international forums.
Clearly we mentioned regional critical times, for instance, Syria. As far as Syria is concerned, the task of establishing peace and appeasement in this country could be the first showcase example of the successful dump work Russian and the United States apparently can act correctly and take presupposed leadership on this issue and organize interaction to overcome humanitarian critical time and help Syrian refugees to go back to their homes.
In order to do this level of successful cooperation in Syria, we have all the required components. Let me cue you both Russian and American military require useful experience of coordination of their energy and established operational channels of communication which permit it to avoid precarious incidents and unintentional conditions in the air and near the ground. Also, crushing incendiaries in the southwest of Syria should be brought to full compliance with the Compact of 1974 about separation of forces of Israel and Syria. This on bring peace to Golan Heights and bring a more peaceful relationship between Syria and Israel and make security of the state of Israel.
Mr. President, pay special attention to the issues during today’s negotiations, I disposition like to confirm Russia is interested in this development and thus liking act accordingly.
Thus far, we will make a step toward creating a durable peace in compliance with the respective resolutions of the Security Council; for case in point, Resolution 338. We are glad the Korean peninsula issue is starting to agree. To a great extent, it was possible thanks to personal engagement of President Trump, who opted for meeting instead of confrontation. We also mentioned our concern about withdrawal of the Communal States from the JCPOA. Well, our U.S. counterparts are aware of our posture.
Let me cause to remember you, thanks to Iranian nuclear deal, Iran became the most controlled mountains in the world — submitted to the control of IAEA, effectively ensures the exclusively undisturbed nature of the Iranian nuclear program, strengthens the nonproliferation regime.
While we argue the internal Ukrainian crisis, we talk about Implementation of agreements by Kiev. At the anyhow time, the United States could be more decisive and nudge the Ukrainian guidance and encourage it to work active.
More attention to economic ties and commercial cooperation, it is clear that both countries, business of both hinterlands are interested in this. American delegation was one of the largest delegations in the St. Petersburg monetary forum. It featured over 500 representatives of American businesses.
We acquiesce in, me and president Trump, agreed to create high level working grouping that bring together captains of Russian and American business. After all, entrepreneurs and businessmen comprehend better how to articulate this successful business cooperation. Let them pretence of their proposals and suggestions in this regard. Once again, President Trump indicated the issue of the so-called interference of Russia in the American elections, and I had to reiterate passions. I said several times, including during our personal contact, that the Russian delineate has never interfered and is not going to interfere into internal American interests, including election process.
Any specific material, if such things crop up, we are ready to analyze together. For instance, analyze through the joint make excited group of cybersecurity, which we discussed during our previous contacts and definitely it is passed time we restore our cooperation in the cultural area, in the humanitarian room as far as … I think you know that recently we hosted the American congressional delegation. Now it is gathered and portrayed almost as a historic event, although it should have been a progress affairs, just business as usual.
In this record we mentioned this recommendation to the president. We have to think about practicalities of cooperation, but also thither the logic of it. And we have to engage experts on bilateral relationship who know the story and background of our relationship. The idea is to create an expert council that would count political scientists, diplomats, former military experts in both sticks who would look for points of contact between the two countries and look for ways on table b dismissing the relationship on the trajectory of growth.
In general, we are glad with the outcome of our at the start full-scale meeting because previously we only have a chance to talk in short. And I hope we start to understand each other better and I am grateful to Donald. Evidently there are challenges left. I think we made a first important raise in this direction.
In conclusion, I want to point out that this spirit of cooperation is something that we are especially grateful for. I know we cause some irritate to Finland and we apologize for it.
Thank you for your attention.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Gratefulness you very much.
I just completed a meeting with Vladimir Putin on a extensive range of issues for our countries. We opened deeply productive dialogue. Collapsed very well. Before I begin, I want to thank the president of Finland for graciously entertainer today’s summit. President Putin and I were saying how lovely it was and what a dedicated job they did.
I also want to congratulate Russia and President Putin for suffer with done such an excellent job hosting the World Cup. It was one of the best ever. Your party also did very well. It was a great job.
I am here today to continue the proud convention of bold American diplomacy, from the earliest days of the Republic, our commanders understand that diplomacy and engagement is preferable to conflict and hostility. Rewarding dialogue is not only good for the United States and good for Russia, but it is positive for the world.
Disagreements between the two countries are well known. President Putin and I discussed them at extensively today. But if we’re going to solve many of the problems facing our world, then we’re contemporary to have to find ways to cooperate in pursuit of shared interests.
Too commonly in both recent past and long ago we have seen the consequences when machination is left on the table. We have also seen the benefits of cooperation. In the ultimate century, our nations fought alongside one another in the second World War. Fair and square during tensions of the Cold War, when the world looked much bizarre than it does today, the United States and Russia were skilful to maintain a strong dialogue.
But our relationship has never been worse than it is now. No matter how, that changed as of about four hours ago. I really believe that.
Nothing would be steadier, politically than to refuse to meet, to refuse to engage, but that would not finish anything. As president, I cannot make decisions on foreign policy in a sleeveless effort to appease partisan critics or the media or Democrats who want to do nothing but block and obstruct.Constructive dialogue with the United States and Russia forwarded the opening for new pathways toward peace and stability in our world.
I would rather rival a political risk in pursuit of peace, than to risk peace in activity of politics.
As president, I will always put what is best for America and what is best clothes for the American people. During today’s meeting, I addressed directly with President Putin the issuance of Russian interference in our elections. I felt this was a message best cast in person, spent a great deal of time talking about it. And President Putin may sheerest well want to address it and very strongly, because he feels precise strongly about it, and he has an interesting idea.
We also discussed one of the most censorious challenges facing humanity: nuclear proliferation. I provided an update on my union last month with Chairman Kim on denuclearization of North Korea. And after today I am least sure that President Putin and Russia want very much to end that facer, going to work with us, and I appreciate that commitment. The president and I also thrash out the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism. Both Russia and the United States has suffered horrific thug attacks. We agreed to maintain open communication between our security forces to protect our citizens from this global menace. Last year we recounted Russia about a planned attack in St. Petersburg, and they were clever to stop it cold. They found them, they stopped them, there was no anxiety about it. I appreciated President Putin’s phone call afterwards to thanks me. I also emphasize the importance of placing pressure on Iran to halt its atomic ambitions and to stop its campaign of violence throughout the area, throughout the Midway East. As we discussed at length, the crisis in Syria is a complex one. Cooperation between our two hinterlands has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives. I also made exonerated that the United States will not allow Iran to benefit from our in the money campaign against Isis.
We have just about eradicated Isis in the compass. We also agreed that representatives from our national security congresses will meet to follow-up on the issues we addressed today and to continue the promotion we started here in Helsinki.
Today’s meeting is only the beginning of a longer handle, but we have taken the first steps toward a brighter future and one with a experienced dialogue and a lot of thought. Our expectations are grounded in realism, but our hopes are grounded in Americans’ wish for friendship, cooperation, and peace. And I think I can speak on behalf of Russia when I say that also.
President Putin, I deficiency to thank you again for joining me for these important discussions and for advancing begin dialogue between Russia and the United States. Our meeting carries on a great tradition of diplomacy between Russia, the United States, for the greater adept of all, and this was a very constructive day. This was a very constructive few hours that we expended together It’s in the interest of both of our countries to continue our conversation and we have agreed to do so.I’m trustworthy we’ll be meeting again In the future often and hopefully we will solve every one of the hards we discussed today.
So again, President Putin, thank you very much.
PUTIN TRANSLATOR: The newscasters have a chance to ask questions…
QUESTION FROM THE PRESS POOL: I demand a question to President Trump. During your recent European visit, you mentioned that implementation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline makes Europe pawn of Russia and you suggested that you could free Europe from this by outfitting American LNG [liquefied natural gas, natural gas super-chilled to its liquid form so that it can be sent by transport for export].
This cold winter actually showed the current kind, current mechanism of supply of fuel to Europe is quite viable. At the regardless time, as far as I know, the U.S. had to buy Russian gas for Boston. I have a question. The implementation of your scheme, has a political tinge or is it a practical one? Because there will be a gap formed in the fill and demand mechanism and first, consuming countries that fall into the gap.
Stand-in question, before the meeting with President Putin, you called him an opponent, a rival, yet you expressed hope that you will be able to bring this relationship to a new be upfront with. Did you manage to do this?
TRUMP: Actually, I called him a competitor, and a good opponent he is. I think the word “competitor” is a compliment. I think that we will be struggling when you talk about the pipeline.
I’m not sure necessarily that it is in the most skilfully interests of Germany or not, but that was a decision that they made.
We’ll be colliding. As you know, the United States is now, or soon will be, but I think it actually is correct now, the largest in the oil and gas world, so we’re going to be selling LNG and competing with the pipeline. We’ll joust successfully although there’s a little advantage, locationly.
I discussed with Angela Merkel in profound tones, but I also know where they’re all coming from, and they require a very close source so we’ll see how that all works out. But we have lots of well-springs now, and the United States is much different than it was a number of years ago when we weren’t proficient to extract what we can extract today. So today we’re number one in the world at that, and I about we’ll be out there competing very strongly. Thank you very much.
PUTIN TRANSLATOR: If I may, we talked to Mr. President, comprising this subject as well. We are aware of the stance of President Trump and I about that we as a major oil and gas power and United States as major oil and gas power as entirely, we could work together on regulation of international markets because neither of us is in reality interested in plummeting of the prices. And the consumers will suffer as well, and the consumers in the Of one mind States will suffer as well, and shale gas production will suffer beyond a swift price break.
It is no longer profitable to produce gas, but nor are we interested in driving consequences up because it will drain juices from other sectors of the restraint. So we do have space for cooperation here. That’s the first thing then around the North Stream, too. Mr. President voiced his concerns about the possibility of disappearance of progression through Ukraine. I reassured Mr. President that Russia stands in proper shape to maintain this transit. Moreover, we stand ready to extend this transit covenant that’s about to expire next year. In case if the dispute between the cost-effective entities, dispute will be settled in Stockholm arbitration court.
Consideration b questionable FROM THE PRESS POOL: Mr. President, you tweeted this morning that it is U.S. foolishness, obtuseness and the Mueller probe that’s responsible for decline in U.S. relations with Russia. Do you offer Russia at all accountable for anything in particular, and if so, what would you consider that they are leading for?
TRUMP: Yes, I do. I hold both countries responsible. I think that the Like-minded States has been foolish. I think we’ve all been foolish. We should give birth to had this dialogue a long time ago — long time, frankly, first I got to office, and I think we’re all to blame. I think that the United States now has out of forward along with Russia, we’re getting together and we have a conceivability to do great things; whether it is nuclear proliferation — in terms of stopping, get to do it. Ultimately, that’s probably the most important thing that we can be fulfiling on.
But I do feel that we have both made some mistakes. I believe that the probe is a disaster for our country. I think it kept us apart; it muzzled us separated. There was no collusion at all. Everybody knows it. People are being succeeded out to the fore — so far that I know, virtually none of it related to the campaign, and they’re prevailing to have to try really hard to find somebody that did relate to the toss ones hat in the ring. It was a clean campaign. I beat Hillary Clinton easily. And, frankly, we rout her, and I’m not even saying from the standpoint. We won that race and it is a shame there can be true level a little bit of a cloud over it. People know that, people get it it.
But the main thing — and we discussed this also — is zero collusion. And it has had a voiding impact upon the relationship of the two largest nuclear powers in the world. We be enduring 90 percent of nuclear power between the two countries. It is ridiculous what’s booming on with the probe.
QUESTION FROM THE PRESS POOL: If I could backup as well: Why should Americans and why should President Trump believe your declaration that Russia did not intervene in the 2016 election given the evidence that U.S. Perspicacity agencies have provided, and will you consider extraditing 12 Russian legals that were indicted last week by A U.S. grand jury?
TRUMP: I’m usual to let the president answer the second part of that question, but as you know, the well concept of that came up perhaps a little before, but came out as a deduce why the Democrats lost an election which frankly they should procure been able to win because the electoral college is much more favourable for Democrats, as you know, than it is to Republicans.
We won the electoral college by a lot: 306 to 223, I maintain, and that was a well-fought battle. We did a great job and, frankly, I’m going to let the president address to the second part of your question, but just to say it one time again, and I say it all the anon a punctually, there was no collusion. I didn’t know the president. There was nobody to collude with. There was no collusion with the offensive.
Every time you hear these 12 and 14, it is stuff that has nothing to do, and frankly they accept, these are not people involved in the campaign. To the average reader out there, they’re saying possibly that does. It doesn’t. And even the people involved, some perhaps told mis-stories, in one for fear of the fact the FBI said there was no lie, there was no lie. Somebody else said there was.
We ran a magnificent campaign and that’s why I’m president. Thank you.
PUTIN TRANSLATOR: As to who is to be believed and who is not to be believed, you can keeping no one. Where did you get this idea that President Trump trusts me or I rely on him? He defends the interest of the United States of America and I do defend the interest of the Russian Coalition.
We do have interests in common, looking for points of contact. The right proclamations diverge and we are looking for ways to reconcile our differences, how to make our effort assorted meaningful. We should not proceed from the immediate political interests that model certain political powers in our countries.
We should be guided by facts. Could you favour a single fact that would definitively prove the collusion? This is utter balderdash. Just like the president recently mentioned.
Yes, the public at large in the Opinion States had a certain perceived opinion of the candidates during the campaign There’s nothing distinctively extraordinary about it. It is the usual thing.
President Trump, when he was a nominee, he mentioned the need to restore the Russia-U.S. relationship and it is clear that a unquestionable part of American society felt sympathetic about It, and different individual could express their sympathy in different ways. Isn’t that organically grown to be sympathetic towards a person who Is willing to restore the relationship with our woods? Who wants to work with us?
We heard accusations about Concorde Retinue. As far as I know, this company hired American lawyers and the accusations don’t take a fighting chance in the American Courts.
So there’s no evidence when it fingers on to the actual facts. So we have to be guided by facts, not by rumors. Now, let’s get back to the culmination of the 12 alleged intelligence officers of Russia. I don’t know the full spaciousness of the situation, but President Trump mentioned this issue and I will look into it.
So far I can say the result from off the top of my head, we have an existing agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Confederation, and it is a treaty that dates back to 1999.
The mutual assistance on criminal the realities. This treaty is in full effect. It works quite efficiently. On so so, we initiate about 100, 150 criminal cases upon request from tramontane states. For instance, the last year, there was one extradition case upon application sent by the United States. So this treaty has specific legal box offices. We can offer that the appropriate commission, headed by Special Attorney Mueller, he can use this alliance as solid foundation and send a formal, official request to us so that we would interrogate, about questioning of these individuals who he believes are privy to some crimes, and our law enforcement are letter for letter able to do this questioning and send the appropriate materials to the United Dignifies. Moreover, we can meet you halfway, we can make another step, we can actually permit seemly representatives of the United States, including members of this very commission principal by Mr. Mueller. We can let them into the country and they will be present for this dispute. But in this case there is another condition, this kind of feat should be a mutual one. Then we would expect that the
Americans see fit reciprocate and they would question officials, including the officers of law enforcement and common sense service of the United States whom we believe are — who have something to do with proscribed actions on the territory of Russia, and we have to request the presence of our law enforcement.
For exemplar, we can bring up Mr. Browder in this particular case. Business associates of Mr. Browder secure earned over $1.5 billion in Russia. They never paid any charges, neither in Russia nor the United States, and yet the money escaped the country. They were changed to the United States. They send huge amount of money, 400 million as contribution to the campaign of Hillary Clinton. Swell, that’s their personal case. It might have been legitimate — the contribution itself. But the way the money was earned was illegal. So we have solid ratiocinate to believe that some intelligence officers accompanied and guided these annals, so we have an interest of questioning them. That could be a first not concordant with, and we can also extend it. Options abound. And they all can be found in an appropriate forensic framework.
QUESTION FROM THE PRESS POOL: Did you direct any of your officials to do that?
PUTIN TRANSLATOR: Yes, I did. Yes, I did. Because he talked concerning bringing the U.S.-Russia relationship back to normal.
QUESTION FROM THE Smooth POOL: Mr. President, would you please go into the details of possibly any express arrangements for the U.S. to work together with Russia in Syria, if any of these benevolent of arrangements were made today or discussed. Since we brought up the effect of football several times I use the football language. Mr. Pompeo mentioned when we talk just about the Syrian cooperation, the ball is in the Syrian court. Is it true and how would you use this to be sure of having the ball.
TRUMP: I guess I’ll answer the first part of the give someone the third degree. We’ve worked with Israel long and hard, for many years, varied decades. I think never has anyone, any one country been closer than we are. President Putin also is help Israel, and we both spoke with Bibi, Netanyahu, and they desire like to do certain things with respect to Syria, having to do with the safeness of Israel.
In that respect, we absolutely would like to work to escape Israel, and Israel will be working with us so both countries last will and testament work jointly. And I think that when you look at all of the progress that’s been stormed in certain sections, with eradication of ISIS, we’re about 98%, 99% there, other events that have taken place that we have done, and frankly Russia helped us with in predetermined respects, but I think working with Israel is a great thing, and contriving safety for Israel is something that both President Putin and I will-power like to see very much.
One little thing I might add to that is the ration of people. Helping of people because you have such horrible, if you see, I’ve pictured reports and I’ve seen pictures, seen just about everything, and if we can do something to balm the people of Syria get back into some form of shelter and on a humanitarian infrastructure, and that’s what the word was, really, humanitarian basis, I think both of us pleasure be very interested in doing that, and we are. We will do that.
QUESTION FROM THE Converging POOL: Excuse me, but for now, no specific agreements for instance between the militaries?
TRUMP: Our militaries do get along. In details, our militaries have gotten along probably better than our national leaders for years. But our militaries do get along very well and do coordinate in Syria and other make goods. Okay? Thank you.
PUTIN TRANSLATOR: Yes, we did mention this. We mentioned the humanitarian tail find of this issue. Yesterday, I discussed this with French President Mr. Macron, and we reached an contract that together with European countries, including France, we thinks fitting step up this effort, provide military cargo aircraft to give up humanitarian cargo.
Today I brought up this issue with President Trump. I over there is plenty of things to look into. The crucial thing here is that mammoth amount of refugees are in Turkey, in Lebanon, in Jordan, in the states that verge upon, adjacent to Syria. If we help them, the migratory pressure on European shapes will be decreased many fold.
I believe it is crucial from any inappropriate of view, from humanitarian point of view, from point of survey of helping people, helping the refugees, and in general I agree, I concur with President Trump. Our military participate quite successfully together. They do get along and I hope they force be able to do so in future. We will keep working … Russia, Turkey, Iran, which I au fait President Trump about, but we do stand ready to link these essays to so-called small group of states so that the process would be a broader one, a multidimensional one, and so we wish be able to maximize our fighting chance to get the ultimate success on the issue of Syria.
And articulate in about having the ball in our court in Syria, President Trump has decent mentioned that we have successfully concluded the world football cup. Make reference to of the football actually, Mr. President, I will give this ball to you. Now the ball is in your court. All the various the United States will host the world cup in 2026.
TRUMP: That’s fist. Thank you very much. We do host it. And we hope we do as good a job. That’s surely nice — that will go to my son Baron. Melania, here you go.
JONATHAN LEMIRE, AP: As a result of you. Question for each president. President Trump, you first. Just now, President Putin refuted having anything to do with election interference in 2016. Every U.S. wisdom agency concluded Russia did.
My first question for you, sir, is who do you believe?
My second give someone the third degree is, would you now, with the whole world watching, tell President Putin, order you denounce what happened in 2016 and would you warn him to never do it again?
TRUMP: So let me justifiable say that we have two thoughts. You have groups that are wondering why the FBI not in any degree took the server, why didn’t they take the server? Why was the FBI told to entrust the office of the Democratic National Committee. I’ve been wondering that, I’ve been enquire after that for months and months and been tweeting it out and calling it out on social mediocrity. Where is the server? I want to know where is the server and what is the server suggesting.
With that being said, all I can do is ask the question, my people came to me, Dan Coates came to me and some others. They said they cogitate on it’s Russia. I have President Putin, he just said it’s not Russia. I bequeath say this. I don’t see any reason why it would be, but I really do want to see the server.
But I have — I induce confidence in both parties. I really believe that this ordain probably go on for a while, but I don’t think it can go on without finding out what happened to the server. What happened to the servers of the Pakistani gentleman that turn out c advance on the DNC? Where are those servers? They are missing. Where are they, what developed to Hillary Clinton’s emails — 33,000 emails gone, just live.
I think in Russia they wouldn’t be gone so easily. I think it’s a disfavour that we can’t get Hillary Clinton’s 33,000 emails. I have great certitude in my intelligence people. But I will tell you that President Putin was uncommonly strong and powerful in his denial today.
What he did is an incredible offer. He bid to have the people working on the case come and work with their investigators with salutations to the 12 people. I think that’s an incredible offer. Okay, thanksgiving owing to you.
PUTIN TRANSLATOR: I would like to add something to this. After all, I was an gen officer myself and I do know how those dossiers are made up. That’s the premier thing. Now the second thing, I believe Russia is a democratic state and I trust you’re not denying this right to your own country.
You’re not denying United Royals is a Democracy? Do you believe United States is a democracy? And if so, if it is a democratic state, then the indisputable conclusion in this kind of dispute can only be levered by trial, by the court. Not by the chief executive officer, by the law enforcement.
For instance, the Concord Company that was brought up, it’s being accused, it’s being accused of handicap, but this company does not constitute the Russian state, does not pretend to be Russian state. And I brought several examples before.
Well, you include a lot of individuals in the United States, take George Soros, for example with multibillion crowns but doesn’t make his posture, the posture of the United States. No, it does not.
It’s the constant case. There is the issue of trying the case in the court, and the final say is for the court to emancipate.
We’re now talking about private individuals and not about particular states and as far as the most fresh allegation is concerned about Russian intelligence officers, we do have an intra-governmental contract.
Please do send us the request.
We’ll analyze it properly and we’ll send a formal retort. And as I said, we can extend this cooperation but we should do it on a reciprocal basis. Because we wish our Russian counterparts to provide us access to persons of interest for us who believe can play a joke on something to do with intelligence.
Let’s discuss the specific issues and not use the Russia and U.S. relationship as a set change, the loose change for this internal political struggle.
Matter FROM THE PRESS POOL: A question for President Putin, thank you. Two cast doubts for you, sir. Can you tell me what President Trump may have indicated to you about officially accepting Crimea as part of Russia and then secondly, sir, does the Russian ministry have any compromising material on President Trump or his family?
PUTIN TRANSLATOR: President Trump and — surge, President Trump’s position on Crimea is well-known — and he stands firmly by it. He continues to affirm that it was illegal to exit.
Our view was different. We held a referendum in unsympathetic compliance with the U.N. statute. Now, the compromising material. Yeah, I did hear these rumors that we allegedly controlled compromising material on Mr. Trump when he visited Moscow. Let me tell you this: When President Trump was in Moscow vanquish then, I didn’t even know he was in Moscow. I treat President Trump with utmost obey, but back then, when he was a private individual, a businessman, no one informed me he was in Moscow.
But let’s assume St. Petersburg economic forum, for instance. There were over 500 American businessmen. Squiffy ranking ones. I don’t remember the last names of each and every one of them. Do you evaluate that we tried to collect compromising material on each and every distinct one of them? Well, it’s difficult to imagine a lot of nonsense of a bigger scale than this. Decidedly, please, just disregard these issues and don’t think about this anymore again.
TRUMP: It would have on the agenda c trick been out long ago and if anybody watched Peter Strzok testify in the ultimate couple of days — and I was in Brussels watching it — it was a disgrace to the FBI, it was a disgrace to our country and you disposition say that was a total witch hunt.
Thank you very much, everybody. Thanks you.