JOHANNESBURG - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he had invited Donald Trump to Moscow and that both he and the U.S. president want further summits, despite the uproar in Washington after the two leaders met in Helsinki last week.
Following the backlash in the United States over Trump’s cordial public tone with Putin at the Helsinki summit, U.S. and Russian officials backed away from a proposal to schedule a follow-up summit in Washington.
But speaking to reporters in South Africa, where he was attending a summit of BRICS nations, Putin said another meeting with Trump was still on the agenda.
“Regarding our meetings, I understand very well what President Trump said. He has a desire to have further meetings,” Putin said.
“I am ready for that. We need for the appropriate conditions to exist, to be created, including in our countries,” Putin told a news conference.
“We are ready for such meetings. We are ready to invite President Trump to Moscow. Be my guest. He has such an invitation, I told him that.” Putin did not say how Trump had reacted to the invitation to travel to Moscow. The last time Trump was in the Russian capital was in 2013, to attend a Miss Universe beauty pageant. (Reuters)