Trump Declares US Relationship with Russia 'Has Never Been Worse'
Trump and Putin, according to diplomatic sources, are set to meet one-on-one, with only interpreters present, for 30 minutes to an hour, before wider talks involving aides
HELSINKI — U.S. President Donald Trump, just hours before his highly anticipated one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, took to social media to cast blame for the state of the American relationship with Moscow. Trump tweeted: "Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!," referring to the current investigation by the special counsel into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Trump had also issued a series of tweets as he headed for Finland, saying no matter how well he does at the summit with Putin he would "return to criticism that it wasn't good enough." Asked by reporters to further comment during a Monday morning breakfast with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at the Mantyniemi official residence, Trump stuck to the bilateral relationship with Helsinki and last week’s meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. "NATO was a little bit tough at the beginning and it turned out to be love," replied Trump. "They're paying and they're paying more rapidly and I think NATO has never been stronger than it is today," said Trump referring to defense spending commitments tied to a minimum percentage of the gross domestic product of the alliance’s member states. Finland, is part of the EU but not a full member of the NATO defense pact. Several thousand protesters gathered Sunday in Helsinki’s iconic Senate Square for a protest that gathered together activists focused on issues including the environment, refugee rights, and anti-war causes. Some of protest signs read: "Dictators not welcome," "Trump is Satan to the environment," and "Stop Killing Journalists." Additional protests are expected Monday. Ahead of his summit with Putin, Trump has both lowered expectations for the talks and issued a stunning rebuke of what has traditionally been one of Washington’s closest allies. "Well I think we have a lot of foes," Trump told CBS News when asked who he thinks is the U.S.’ biggest enemy. "I think the European Union is a foe. Now you wouldn't think of the European Union, but they're a foe." Trump also said Russia is a foe "in certain respects." European Council President Donald Tusk quickly responded on Twitter: "America and the EU are best friends. Whoever says we are foes is spreading fake news." Trump’s comments were broadcast as he headed for Helsinki. Trump says he will use the meeting to find areas of cooperation with Putin, who is also critical of Western institutions such as NATO and the EU. "Nothing bad’s gonna come out of it, and maybe some good will come out," Trump said. "But I go in with low expectations. I'm not going with high expectations. I don’t really, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen." Trump and Putin are set to meet one-on-one on Monday afternoon with only interpreters present before wider talks involving aides. The encounter comes three days after special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers, accusing them of meddling in election to help Trump win the White House. Russia has no extradition treaty with the United States, so it is unlikely that the Russia would turn the intelligence officials over to the U.S. to stand trial. Putin has denied trying to influence the vote. The fresh indictments prompted a number of U.S. senators, all but one Democrats, to request Trump cancel his summit with Putin. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, speaking to VOA’s Russian Service in Helsinki said his greatest fear is that Trump "will be too friendly and lavish praise on Vladimir Putin and I think that serves his interest. I don’t think that serves America’s interest." During his Europe tour, Trump has been combative with traditional U.S. allies at every stage – beginning at a NATO summit in Brussels, where he chastised European leaders for not spending more on defense. Ahead of his meeting in Britain, Trump criticized Prime Minister Theresa May’s approach to negotiations about Britain leaving the EU and suggested it could impact a proposed trade deal between London and Washington. Steve Herman is VOA's White House Bureau Chief.