Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet to discuss the restoration of relations between Moscow and Washington, The Kremlin has announced.
The summit will be held in either Helsinki or Vienna, and a date, believed to be in July, is expected later today.
“It’s looking like we will be probably meeting sometime in the not-too-distant future,” Trump said. “And I’ve said it from Day one – getting along with Russia, with China and with everybody is a very good thing.”
The meeting has “sent ripples of consternation through European capitals”, says CNN, where some leaders fear that a campaign to isolate Moscow “could be quickly undone by an eager-to-please Trump”.
News of the meeting emerged after US national security adviser John Bolton flew to Moscow to meet with Putin and discuss a range of topics that are likely to be covered.
They include “Russian involvement in Ukraine, the Syria civil war and efforts to denuclearise North Korea”, USA Today says.