Russian media beats White House to details of Trump, Putin talks
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Russia's state-sponsored news site RT offered details of the first sit-down meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, beating the White House to a readout. Trump and Putin had exceeded their scheduled 30-minute meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, conversing for over two hours and reportedly keeping Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe — Putin's next meeting — waiting.
RT also reported that after the talks, Putin made clear that the previous phone calls between the two leaders were "obviously not enough." Putin added that "meetings in person are 'necessary' if the two countries want to resolve the 'most pressing issues,'" RT writes.
Putin said that over the course of the two hours with Trump, "many issues accrued, including Ukraine, Syria, and other problems, as well as some bilateral issues." Terrorism and, notably, cybersecurity were also discussed.
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The White House has not yet published a readout of its interpretation of the talks.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
