Russia remains open to Putin-Trump summit

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin was still ready to hold a summit with US counterpart Donald Trump despite the mass Western expulsions of Russian diplomats in a spy row, the Kremlin said yesterday.

“This depends on the American side, but the Russian side remains open,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“Putin is ready and the Russian side is ready for mutually beneficial and mutually trustful relations with all countries including the US to the extent that our opponents or partners are ready for this,” Peskov said.

He said Russia currently had no information about Trump’s readiness to meet with Putin following Washington’s decision to expel more than 60 diplomats.

At least 25 countries decided to expel Russian diplomats in response to the March 4 attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury.

London and its allies have blamed Moscow, citing the use of a Soviet-designed nerve agent. – AFP