Trump and Putin hit it off at APEC summit
US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam. After concluding the eagerly-awaited meeting, Trump revealed that he had had "good discussions" with Putin. The meeting comes as Trump is facing an investigation back home on the alleged Russian interference in US elections. What happened when Trump met Putin? Read on.
Trump's Asia tour
Trump is on an 11-day Asia tour; he has visited Japan, South Korea and China. He is currently attending the APEC summit in Da Nang, Vietnam. He is also scheduled to visit Philippines and attend ASEAN and the East Asia Summit.
The brewing chemistry between Putin and Trump
While there was no formal meeting between the leaders, they reportedly had warm words for each other as they crossed paths thrice during the summit. Trump made a reference to a "mutual good feeling" with Putin; the Russian president described Trump as "well-mannered... and comfortable to deal with". In tweets, he also said former President Barack Obama didn't have chemistry with Putin.
Trump: Russia didn't interfere in 2016 US elections
Trump seemed terribly insulted at the suggestion that Russia may have meddled in the 2016 US presidential elections. In fact, he seemed to believe Putin when he said there was no Russian meddling. "He said he didn't meddle. I asked him again," Trump told reporters. Trump said he believed Putin was "very insulted by it, which is not a good thing for our country."
Trump makes a strong case for good US-Russia relations
US, Russia join hands against ISIS
The two leaders managed to sign on an official statement declaring their resolve to fight in Syria until ISIS is defeated. A statement released by Kremlin on November 11 said that both leaders "agreed that the conflict in Syria has no military solution." They further called on relevant parties to take part in the Geneva Peace Process in Syria.
The larger picture
The US is no stranger to viewing Russia as the enemy. Truth aside, this has prevented good US-Russia relations for decades. In the current context, good US-Russia relations is definitely imperative for countering the threat from ISIS around the world. Trump seems to have made this clear. However, domestic constituencies within the US are unlikely to be happy about Trump's love for Russia.
