FOREIGN POLICY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump opened his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday [7-7-17] by expressing concerns about Russian interference in the U.S. election, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, adding that Mr. Putin denied any involvement.
The leaders spoke for more than two hours on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Germany, extending what had been scheduled to be a one-hour meeting.
‘The president pressed President Putin on more than one occasion regarding Russian involvement’ in the election, Mr. Tillerson said. ‘President Putin denied such involvement, as I think he has in the past. The two leaders agreed, though, that this is a substantial hindrance in the ability for us to move the Russian-U.S. relationship forward.’
Mr. Tillerson said the meeting went long because the two sides ‘had so much to talk about,’ adding U.S. officials had sent first lady Melania Trump into the room to see if she could bring it to an end.
In a briefing to reporters after the Trump-Putin meeting, Mr. Tillerson also said an agreement for a cease-fire to start Sunday in southwest Syria is ‘our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together.’ “
-Peter Nicholas and Thomas Grove, “Trump Airs Meddling Concerns With Putin,” The Wall Street Journal online, July 7, 2017 02:07pm