US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he was unsure if Russian president was a friend or a foe. His comments come ahead of the meeting between the two leaders.
Trump made the remark in answer to a question from reporters at the White House before leaving for Europe on a visit that includes a summit with Putin in Helsinki.
Trump repeated his criticism of NATO allies for not spending enough on their defence and pointed to the political tensions in Britain over the government’s Brexit plans. “So I have NATO, I have the UK which is in somewhat turmoil, and I have Putin. Frankly, Putin may be the easiest of them all. Who would think?” Trump said.
Trump, whose 2016 election campaign is being probed for possible collusion with Russia, has said repeatedly he wants to have a good relationship with Washington’s former Cold War foe, despite tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine, Syria and alleged election meddling around the world. Trump has denied any collusion with Russia.
Trump also vowed not to be “taken advantage” of by the EU, who he says does not do enough to support the transatlantic alliance and takes unfair advantage of the US on trade.
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