At meeting with Trump advisor, Putin voices hope for better ties

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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday expressed hope that the visit to Moscow of Donald Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton will help revive ties with the US amid tensions between Moscow and the West.

"Your visit to Moscow gives us hope that we can at least take the first step to reviving full-blown ties between our states," Putin told Bolton at the start of the meeting at the Kremlin, according to Russian news agencies.

The presidential aide is also set to meet Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and members of Russia's security council.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton arrives for a signing ceremony between the DPRK's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump during their historic US-DPRK summit, at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore on June 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

Bolton's visit is aimed at exploring the idea of a highly anticipated summit between the US and Russian presidents which may take place next month.

But in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, Peskov declined to discuss details of a possible meeting.

He said Putin's meeting with Bolton will be used to discuss "the sad state" of bilateral relations as well as top international issues.

Trump is due to participate in the July 11-12 NATO summit in Brussels before heading to Britain to meet Prime Minister Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth II.

Earlier this month, Putin said he was ready to meet Trump as soon as Washington gave the green light, adding that Vienna was a possible venue.

US President Donald Trump (L) chats with Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on November 11, 2017. /VCG Photo‍

But Politico reported this week that the two could meet in the Finnish capital Helsinki, instead of Vienna.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said Helsinki is "always ready to offer its good services if asked." He did not provide further details.

Kremlin: Vienna could be venue for possible Putin-Trump summit

Helsinki possible location for Trump-Putin summit as Bolton heads to Moscow

Ties between Washington and Moscow have been strained by the wide-ranging probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign as well as the poisoning case of a former Russian spy.

The last, brief meeting between Putin and Trump took place in November 2017 in Vietnam during an APEC summit.

Source(s): AFP