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PUTIN-TRUMP MEETING IN HELSINKI

Putin, Trump may have one-on-one talk at start of Helsinki summit

The Kremlin says Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump may have a one-on-one talk at the beginning of their summit in Helsinki on July 16, if there is a preliminary agreement

© Andrei Makhonin/TASS

MOSCOW, July 3. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump may have a one-on-one talk at the beginning of their summit in Helsinki on July 16, if there is a preliminary agreement, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

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Replying to a question about how much a one-on-one meeting suits Russia, the Kremlin spokesman said: "It is totally suitable. President Putin feels relaxed in any format, which is comfortable for his interlocutors. Indeed, we do not rule out that both Presidents Putin and Trump may have a tete-a-tete meeting at the beginning, if an initial agreement is confirmed and there is a preliminary understanding."

CNN reported on Monday citing a source familiar with the plans that Trump planned a one-on-one talk with Putin at the beginning. According to the TV channel, the US president wants to personally talk with Putin before allowing other aides and delegation members to join the meeting.

Trump used the same one-on-one format during his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore last month, CNN reports. Trump met for about an hour with just the North Korean leader, joined only by their translators before opening the room for fuller delegations.

As the Kremlin press office reported earlier, the Putin-Trump encounter will take place in Helsinki on July 16. According to Kremlin Spokesman Peskov, the two leaders will discuss a number of uneasy issues, including the comprehensive discussion of the situation in Syria.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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Top Russian security official praises Republika Srpska’s principled position on Ukraine

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Azerbaijani president accuses West of seeking to draw vision lines in South Caucasus

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Ukrainian connection to Crocus terrorist attack undeniable — ex-SBU officer

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Weapons for new US package for Kiev yet to be found — Ukrainian ambassador

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Ukrainian forces refuse to obey Commander-in-Chief Syrsky — CIA ex-analyst

Larry Johnson also noted that the Russian forces manage to advance recently despite the slush on the roads

US can ship weapons to Ukraine within few days if funding approved — Pentagon

Afghan Foreign Ministry condemns terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall outside Moscow

The ministry’s Spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said, that considers it a blatant violation of all human standards

NATO to set up ground forces headquarters 140 km from Russian border in Finland

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Ukraine no longer sovereign state, says Hungarian Prime Minister Orban

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US authorities prepare military aid for Ukraine worth $1 bln — Reuters

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Erdogan vows joint effort to eradicate Kurdistan Workers Party from Turkey's borders

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Qiwi projects $247 mln loss over sale of Russian assets

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FSB raids terrorist cell in Dagestan that funded, armed Crocus City Hall attackers

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Republika Srpska president praises Moscow-Banja Luka relations, favors strengthening them

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Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

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Putin informed about detention of Deputy Defense Minister Ivanov

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Eleven Russians dead, 48 injured in Ukrainian strikes over week

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Modern weapons make up 82% in Russian air defense troops — Shoigu

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Several Ukrainian drones destroyed over Kursk Region

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Ukrainian presidential office confirms London’s agrement to Zaluzhny as ambassador

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Builders from Azerbaijan participate in BAM upgrade — Putin

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One more Ukrainian drone shot down over Belgorod Region — defense ministry

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Russian missile cruiser Varyag enters Mediterranean Sea

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Current Russian turn eastward possible owing to Baikal-Amur railway — Putin

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Russian-Kazakh commission discusses border demarcation issues

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Putin proclaims Odessa Russian city, challenges Ukraine's historical narrative

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Beijing condemns US hypocrisy around Ukraine conflict

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Crocus City Hall terror attack traced to Ukrainian special services — Patrushev

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US using human rights topics to shake political situation in Russia — embassy

"Attacks against Russia mainly focused on challenging the legality of the special military operation in Ukraine", the Russian embassy said

Russian Aerospace Forces strike five militant hideouts in Syria’s Homs

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