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Putin to host Trump advisor Bolton Wednesday
MOSCOW, June 27, 2018 (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin will host
US National Security Advisor John Bolton for talks Wednesday aimed at laying
the groundwork for a summit between the Kremlin chief and Donald Trump.
“The president will host Bolton at the Kremlin,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry
Peskov told reporters.
“Such talks will take place today,” he said.
President Trump’s advisor is also set to meet with Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov and members of Russia’s security council.
Bolton’s visit is aimed at exploring the idea of a highly anticipated
summit between the US and Russian presidents which may take place next month.
But in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, Peskov declined to
discuss details of a possible meeting between the Russian and US leaders.
He said Putin’s meeting with Bolton would be used to discuss “the sad
state” of bilateral relations as well as top international issues.
Trump is due to participate in the July 11-12 NATO summit in Brussels
before heading to Britain to meet Prime Minister Theresa May and Queen
Elizabeth II.
Earlier this month, Putin said he was ready to meet Trump as soon as
Washington gave the green light, adding that Vienna was a possible venue.
But Politico reported this week that the two could meet in the Finnish
capital Helsinki, instead of Vienna.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said Helsinki is “always ready to offer
its good services if asked.” He did not provide further details.
Ties between Washington and Moscow have been strained by the wide-ranging
probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and possible
collusion with the Trump campaign as well as the poisoning case of a former
Russian spy.
The last, brief meeting between Putin and Trump took place in November
2017 in Vietnam during an APEC summit.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1610 hrs