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Version 14 Version 15
Donald Trump: Putin has 'interesting idea' about US election meddling – live updates Vladimir Putin: I wanted Donald Trump to win US election – live
(35 minutes later)
Lemire, the AP journalist, now asks about Crimea, something neither of the men had yet mentioned in the press conference.
Putin says Trump “continues to maintain that it was illegal to annex it. Our viewpoint is different.”
Then, Putin responds to Lemire’s question on whether or not he has comprising information on the US president.
Asked if he has compromising material on Trump, Putin replies: "I did hear these rumours. When President Trump visited Moscow back then, I didn't even know he was in Moscow... Nobody informed me that he was in Moscow... Please disregard these issues."
Putin DOES NOT DENY that he has compromising material on Trump. He merely says that Putin didn't know Trump was in Moscow.
Trump said: “If they had it, it would have been out long ago.”
That was the last question of the press conference, which has ended.
The AP’s Jonathan Lemire asks Trump to warn Putin never to intervene in a US election again in front of the cameras.
Trump speaks extensively about FBI servers and asks about Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Trump on election interference: "President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today."
Asked if he believes the intelligence agencies who concluded that Russia did meddle in the election or Putin who denies it, Trump brings up the DNC server. He later says of Russia, "I don’t see any reason why it would be. I really do want to see the server."
Putin asks to comment. “I was an intelligent officer myself,” he says.
“I believe Russia is a democratic state and I hope you’re not denying this right to your own country. Do you believe the US is a democracy?” Putin says.
He says if you do believe the US is a democracy, this matter must be dealt with in court.
Putin: The most recent allegation against 12 Russian officers. "Do send us the request. We will analyse it properly and we will send a formal response."
Putin then gives Trump a ball from the World Cup. Trump says his son will like it and throws it into the audience - apparently to Melania.
An RT reporter asks Trump, in English, to go into details on any specific arrangements made today or discussed about intervention in Syria.
The reporter then moves to Russian to ask Putin about the country’s role there.
Trump says they would like to work to help Israel.
And that Russia has helped the US eradicate Isis.
Trump: "Our militaries have probably got along better than our political leaders for years."
Putin says a crucial issue in Syria is the “huge amount of refugees” in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.
“I wanted Trump to win because he spoke about normalizing Russian relations,” Putin said.
Putin says he's willing to let Special Counsel Mueller make an official request that Russia interrogate those Russians indicted for election meddling in the US. But in exchange, says Russia would expect US to question Americans that Russia charges with illegal actions against it. pic.twitter.com/RGibymEvbb
Putin: "We have to be guided by facts, not by rumours." I don't know the full extent of the situation of the 12 indicted Russian military officers. President Trump mentioned it and I will look into it.
Main takeaway so far: trump and Putin agree there was ‘no collusion’
Reuters’ Jeff Mason then asked Putin to answer to claims Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
Trump responded to the reporter’s question for Putin for several minutes, including to defend, again, his election win. Then, Putin spoke.
Putin said: “Where did you get the idea that Trump trusts me or I trust him?”
Putin says they are looking for “points of contact” and that the presidents are looking for a way to reconcile their differences.
Putin: "We should be guided by facts. Can you name a single fact that would definitively prove collusion? This is nonsense."
Jeff Mason, an American reporter for Reuters, asked about Trump’s tweet this morning that US “foolishness and stupidity” damaged the relationship between the US and Russia.
“I hold both countries responsible,” Trump says. “I think the United States has been foolish. I think we’ve all been foolish”
“I think we’re all to blame.”
He says “nuclear proliferation, in terms of stopping” is the most important thing for them to work on together.
He then moves onto the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 US election.
“There was no collusion,” Trump says.
“I beat Hillary Clinton easily,” Trump says.
He says it has had a negative impact on the relationship between the “two largest nuclear powers in the world.”
A reporter from Russia’s Interfax news agency asked about German’s plan to build the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
Trump says Putin is a “good competitor.”
“We will be competing when you talk about the pipeline,” says Trump.
Trump says the US and Russia “could save hundreds of thousands of lives” in Syria.Trump says the US and Russia “could save hundreds of thousands of lives” in Syria.
“This was a very constructive day, a very constructive few hours we spent together.”“This was a very constructive day, a very constructive few hours we spent together.”
“I’m sure we’ll be meeting again in the future, often.”“I’m sure we’ll be meeting again in the future, often.”
The two presidents have concluded their remarks and now for questions from the press.The two presidents have concluded their remarks and now for questions from the press.
Trump says he addressed election interference.
“I thought it was best done in person,” Trump said.
He says they spent a great deal of time talking about it. “He feels very strongly about it - and he has an interesting idea.”
“The disagreements between our two countries are well-known and president Putin and I discussed them at length today,” Trump says.
He says to address world problems the two countries are going to have to work together.
“Even during the tensions of the Cold War, when the world looked much different than it does today, Russia and the US were able to maintain a strong dialogue.”
“Our relationship has never been worse than it is now. However, that changed. As of about four hours ago.”
Trump: "Our relationship has never been worse than it is now. However, that changed as of about four hours ago." (Some giggles in the room. Putin remains poker faced.)
Trump is now speaking.
“We had direct, open, deeply productive dialogue. It went very well.”
He commends Putin for how Russia hosted the World Cup and the national team’s performance at the tournament.
Putin said Trump raised the issue of Russian meddling in the US election.
“I had to repeat what I said earlier, including in personal meetings with the president, Russia never interfered and doesn’t plan to interfere in US domestic politics, including elections,” Putin said.
He said if “any such material, if such things arise, we are ready to discuss them together.”
“The United States could be more decisive in nudging Ukrainian leadership,” Putin says.
“We agreed, me and president Trump, we agreed to put together a high-level working group” of Russia and and American businessmen, Putin says.
Putin is discussing counterterrorism and cybersecurity.
Putin said Russia and US interests don’t always “dovetail,” but “the overlapping interests abound.”
He talks about Syria and how to get refugees back to their home and how the US and Russia have communicated about their intervention there.
He said they are “glad” issues with North Korea “are starting to resolve.”
The press conference is under way.
Putin begins. He says the Cold War is a thing of the past.
“Today both Russia and the United States face a whole new set of challenges.”
Putin said in the negotiations they outlined “first steps for improving this relationship and to restore an acceptable level of trust”.
There was just a skirmish in the press conference hall and a man was removed from the room.
Security officials asked him to leave the room earlier, and he left peacefully, according to CNN’s Jim Acosta but then the man re-entered.
He was then forcibly removed, carrying a hand-written sign.
The man identified himself as a US journalist from The Nation, according to reporters who witnessed the altercation, but that has not been confirmed.
Acosta said the sign said: “Nuclear weapons ban treaty”.
US Journalist from The Nation sitting next to me is being asked to go with secret service before start of news conf. Escorted out by Finnish security and US secret service #. #TrumpPutinSummit pic.twitter.com/EunnupuCoV
The “two-minute” warning issued moments ago at the press briefing was ambitious.
It’s been more than ten minutes since the two-minute warning.
Reporters have gathered for the press conference and were just warned it will begin in two minutes.
Several American print reporters are on the floor for the presser. The rest of us are in the balcony. Nice view: pic.twitter.com/roXBdtwoIb
At presidential palace awaiting Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/mVtJXas8PC