Trump, Putin to meet on July 16 in Helsinki

SUMMIT COULD IRRITATE BRITAIN, WHICH WANTS TO ISOLATE PUTIN, OR UKRAINE, WHICH IS NERVOUS ABOUT THE US BEING ‘OVERLY FRIENDLY’ TOWARDS HIM

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on July 16 in Helsinki, the Kremlin and the White House said on Thursday, a first official summit that will be closely watched by nervous US allies in Europe and critics of Russia in America.

The two countries announced the details simultaneously a day after striking a deal on holding the meeting following a visit to Moscow on Wednesday by US national security adviser John Bolton.

“The two leaders will discuss relations between the United States and Russia and a range of national security issues,” the White House said in a statement.

Trump and Putin have met twice before on the sidelines of international gatherings.

Their summit could irritate US allies who want to isolate Putin, such as Britain, or who are con- cerned about what they see as Trump’s overly friendly attitude toward the Russian leader.

It is also likely to go down badly among critics who question Trump’s commitment to the NATO alliance and who have been concerned about his frictions with longtime allies such as Canada and Germany over trade.

Trump has long expressed a desire for better relations with Moscow, even as Washington tightens sanctions.

Bolton told reporters in Moscow he expected Russian meddling in US politics to be discussed at the summit.