Trump says Putin meeting 'may be the easiest of them all'
President Donald Trump said his easiest meeting on his foreign trip to Europe this week may be his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Posted — UpdatedTrump spoke to reporters before leaving for the NATO summit in Brussels, the first stop on his trip. He plans to travel to the United Kingdom and meet with Prime Minister Theresa May. Trump will hold his first standalone summit with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, next Monday.
"I have NATO. I have the UK, which is in somewhat turmoil. And I have Putin. Frankly, Putin may be the easiest of them all," Trump said Tuesday. "Who would think?"
Later, when asked if he sees Putin as a friend or a foe, Trump said he sees the Russian leader as a "competitor."
"I really can't say right now, as far as I'm concerned, a competitor. A competitor," Trump said. "I think that getting along with Russia, getting along with China is a good thing, getting along with others is a good thing. It's not a bad thing, I've said that many times."
This story will be updated.
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