Putin: I am not trying to show myself as a symbol of Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin: Photo: Sputnik

"I am not trying to present myself as a symbol of Russia," he said in an interview with the American television channel Fox News. At the same time, he said, the president is a symbol of Russia like the flag or the national anthem.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump held their first summit in the Finnish capital Helsinki on July 16.

The two leaders then had a private meeting that lasted more than two hours and an extended bilateral meeting, holding a joint press conference after the summit. President Trump and Putin hailed a new start in their relationship after their first summit in Finland.