Mr. Putin: 'Mr. Trump in real life is very different from the one on TV'

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed optimism about Russia-US relations after his first face-to-face meeting with his counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) shakes hands with US President Donald Trump (right) during their first face-to-face meeting on July 7. Photo: Reuters

"I must say that the Trump you see on television is very different from the Trump in real life," the Russian leader said at a press conference after the G20 summit ended on the evening of July 8.

President Putin said he believed he had convinced Mr Trump that Russia did not interfere in the US election during a meeting lasting more than two hours on July 7.

"President Trump asked me a lot of questions about this issue (election interference - PV). He started asking tough questions and delving into every detail. I, to the best of my ability, answered him in detail.

He asked, I answered. He asked difficult questions, I also answered. I saw that he seemed very satisfied with those answers," Mr. Putin recalled.

The two leaders also agreed to continue cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and "restore some of the level of cooperation that both countries need," according to Reuters. Earlier, speaking after the meeting with Mr. Putin, Mr. Trump called it "a great honor."

Regarding the Syria issue, the Russian leader said that the United States has "become more pragmatic than before. It can be understood that if Russia and the United States combine their efforts, the two countries can achieve many things."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, this year's G20 host, expressed satisfaction at a press conference on the evening of July 8 when the Russian and US leaders finally met and expressed hope that similar dialogues would continue in the future.

"It's a start. It's good to talk frankly and honestly," Merkel said.

In response, Mr. Putin also expressed his praise for the German chancellor's diplomatic talent and ability to change things.

"One of the important issues at this conference is climate change. And it was here that the German chancellor found the most optimal compromise," Reuters quoted Mr. Putin as saying.

The G20 joint statement released on the evening of July 8 included a paragraph on fossil fuel use proposed by the US delegation. "The United States is committed to continuing to work with other countries to ensure they have access to and use fossil fuels more efficiently and cleanly." According to European officials, the US delegation carefully considered the wording when discussing the draft joint statement, the paragraph on fighting protectionism.

US President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) after their meeting. Photo: Reuters

While Mr. Putin recounted what he discussed with Mr. Trump and Ms. Merkel succinctly praised the meeting between the Russian and American leaders, Mr. Trump met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to discuss "many hot issues of the world," according to Xinhua.

As expected, the US president mentioned the North Korea issue during the meeting, emphasizing that "something needs to be done" about Pyongyang.

“It may take longer than I want or you want, but it will work out in the end, one way or another,” Trump told Xi. In response, the Chinese leader stressed that closer Sino-US ties would be good for stability in an increasingly complex world.

According to Tuoi Tre