Times: Prospects of Trump meeting Putin worry British authorities
A meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin is likely to take place next month during the White House chief's visit to Europe, The Times reported. The prospect, the newspaper said, has "worrisome" British officials, as it would add to doubts about Trump's commitment to the North Atlantic alliance.
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News of the potential meeting comes amid doubts from British Prime Minister Theresa May that her country, along with the United States, remains a leading military power. At a tense meeting to discuss the future of the UK's armed forces, the prime minister told Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson to ensure Britain remains a "leading" military power, according to a source in the British Ministry of Defence. May herself has denied any such talk.
A possible meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has British officials worried.
"It is not clear at the moment whether this meeting will take place before or after the NATO summit and the visit to the UK," the British official said. "It would be better for us if it happened after the visit.
A senior Western diplomatic source said a meeting between Russian and US leaders ahead of the NATO summit would cause "anxiety and alarm".
“This would be an extremely negative move,” the unnamed source said.
The White House told the Times that there was no announcement of a meeting between Russia and the US. However, the former senior US military official said that negotiations were ongoing, but so far, the date and location of the meeting have not been confirmed.