NEW YORK, October 15, 2018 (BSS/TASS) – US President Donald Trump believes
that he is “being very tough” in personal talks with his Russian counterpart
Vladimir Putin, the American leader said in an interview with CBS television
channel.
Asked why Trump never had a harsh word for Vladimir Putin publicly, the US
president answered that “you don’t know what I talked about with Putin in the
meeting prior to the press conference.”
“I’m the one that gave Ukraine offensive weapons and tank killers”, Trump
said. “[Former US President Barack] Obama didn’t. You know what he sent? He
sent pillows and blankets. I’m the one and he’s [Obama] the one that gave
away a part of Ukraine where Russia now has this…”
“I think I’m very tough with him [Putin] personally,” Trump stated. “I had
a meeting with him. The two of us. It was a very tough meeting and it was a
very good meeting.”
The first full-fledged talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and
his US counterpart Donald Trump took place in Finland’s capital of Helsinki
on July 16. The one-on-one meeting between Putin and Trump lasted for more
than two hours.
Later, both delegation members joined the presidents for a larger working
lunch. The expanded session also lasted for roughly two hours, with the talks
covering crucial bilateral and global issues. Both presidents said after the
summit that a big step forward had been taken.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said later that Trump had
instructed National Security Adviser John Bolton to send an invitation to the
Russian leader to visit Washington in the fall.