Washington, DC [US], August 13 : US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Tuesday (local time) said that the upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on August 15 in Alaska was "suggested by Putin himself."
While addressing the US State Department briefing, Bruce said, "It was Putin who suggested this meeting."
"He (President Trump) is going to meet with President Putin to see what he has in mind, and if it's a fair deal, he will reveal it to the European Union leaders, NATO, and President Zelensky. He says, 'I'm going in to speak to Putin and I'm going to be telling him, you've got to end this war. You've got to end it," he added.
Bruce also highlighted Trump's frustration with Putin's actions, noting that "he has not been happy with President Putin and his actions."
Meanwhile, Trump said that while addressing the White House briefing on Monday, "We're going to have a meeting with Vladimir Putin. And at the end of that meeting, probably in the first two minutes, I'll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made," he added.
When asked if he sees a time when there could be normal trade between the US and Russia, Trump said, "I do. Russia has a very valuable piece of land. If Vladimir Putin went toward business instead of toward war, you know, it's a warring nation. That's what they do. They fight a lot of wars. A friend of mine said Russia is tough because they just keep on fighting."
Further, Trump expressed optimism about the meeting and said, "I'd like to see a ceasefire. I'd like to see the best deal that could be made for both parties."
On the same day, Trump said that American tariffs on India over its purchase of Russian oil had delivered a "big blow" to Moscow, saying, "No one would have been so tough and I haven't stopped there."
US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that American tariffs on India over its purchase of Russian oil had delivered a "big blow" to Moscow, saying, "No one would have been so tough and I haven't stopped there."
He said Russia has been "heavily impacted" by global pressure, including US trade actions on multiple countries.
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