Trump to Discuss 'Syria and Ukraine' in Meeting with Putin

Following an agreement between the United States and Russia for a direct meeting between the leaders of the two countries, Donald Trump has told reporters that he intends to discuss the Syrian civil war and the Ukraine crisis with Vladimir Putin. John Bolton, the U.S. National Security Advisor, who visited Russia on July 6, announced during a press conference in Moscow that the leaders would meet and that the time and place of this meeting would be announced simultaneously on July 7. Bolton stated, 'Both Presidents, Trump and Putin, feel it is necessary for the leaders of these two very important countries to meet and discuss common problems and the atmosphere of cooperation.' He mentioned that this meeting serves 'the interests of both parties and the people of the world.' According to Trump's National Security Advisor, 'It is not unusual for Presidents Trump and Putin to meet.' He then noted that all of America's European allies have met and discussed with Vladimir Putin. During the press conference, a journalist reminded Bolton of his previous statement that Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential election was 'a real act of war.' Bolton did not directly respond to this question, stating he did not intend to address things he had previously written. Shortly after Bolton's press conference, President Trump also met with reporters, mentioning Ukraine and Syria as issues that would be raised alongside other topics during his meeting with Vladimir Putin. Trump and Putin have met twice on the sidelines of international summits and have spoken at least eight times over the phone. Their first face-to-face meeting took place on July 16 of last year at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Trump congratulated Putin on his election victory during a phone call on March 20 of the previous year, stating that he and Putin would 'probably meet in the not-too-distant future.' Since then, however, relations between the two countries have faced additional tensions, including developments in the Syrian civil war and the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain, which the West attributes to Russia despite its denials. Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to the Kremlin, also mentioned Ukraine and Syria, alongside 'strategies for creating stability related to nuclear weapons, combating international terrorism, and U.S.-Russia relations' as topics for discussion between the two leaders. John Bolton has told reporters that the U.S. President intends to discuss various issues, including allegations against Moscow regarding the U.S. elections. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, was another American official who provided details about the upcoming meeting on July 6. He emphasized during a Senate meeting that from Trump's perspective, Moscow's presence in any 'important negotiations on geostrategic issues is of vital importance.' Pompeo added that the U.S. still considers Russia's annexation of Crimea illegal and that Trump will tell Putin that Russia's 'interference' in the U.S. elections is unacceptable. Previously, Russian government officials had expressed Moscow's willingness to hold a meeting between the two leaders. Donald Trump has also praised Putin on various occasions and expressed his desire for direct dialogue with him. Democratic lawmakers and some Republican representatives in the U.S. have accused Trump of adopting a lenient approach towards Moscow.