Putin: we hope Trump visits Russia for Victory Day in May
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a news conference on Thursday that he hoped that U.S. President Donald Trump would come to Russia to mark Victory Day on May 9th next year and that Moscow was ready for talks with the United States.
(SOUND BITE) (DUBBED) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING:"So far we do not have any meeting planned. As for May 9th in Moscow, in case the president of the United States makes the decision that he can come, taking into consideration the election campaign that has started in the United States... and I think a visit on the occasion of the end of World War Two (OVER JOURNALISTS) - for the leader of the country that made a significant input into fighting nazism - (BACK TO PUTIN) would be a right step even as part of the election campaign. But this is not up to us to decide. But in case the president of the United States comes, of course we will meet with him and we will talk."
The last time Trump met with Putin was on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, where the Russian leader reportedly invited Trump to Moscow to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two.
Trump has not visited Russia as president of the United States.
The Russian president spoke at the BRICS summit in Brazil, where he said he had discussed supplying a Russian S-400 missile defense system to India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
That same missile defense system was a sticking point at a meeting between Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Wednesday.
(SOUND BITE) (ENGLISH) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:
“...the S-400 creates some very serious challenges for us."
Trump urged Erdogan to walk away from Turkey's purchase of S-400s but, on Thursday, the Turkish president said it was not right for the U.S. to make such a proposal, calling it an infringement of sovereign rights.
