US President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that he hopes their two countries can have an "extraordinary relationship" going forward, just hours after he blamed US policy - not Putin - for the dismal state of relations between the two countries.

“I think we have great opportunities together as two countries that, frankly, we have not been getting along very well for the last number of years,” Trump said. “I think we will end up having an extraordinary relationship.”

Trump arrived Monday afternoon at the Finnish presidential palace for what he has called a summit with Putin, hoping once again that his personal touch can reverse the steep decline in US-Russia relations in recent years.

Trump and Putin arrived separately at the Finnish presidential palace, about 45 minutes behind schedule.

They then walked into a room at the presidential palace together before offering brief remarks before a gaggle of cameras and reporters, with Trump congratulating Putin once again “on a really great World Cup.”

For the next hour-and-a-half, Trump and Putin are scheduled to hold one-on-one discussions, with only interpreters at their side.
Trump was eager to have time alone with Putin to better personally assess him and develop a personal relationship, according to a US official, but he has also expressed anger at leaks from his meetings with foreign leaders and told aides he wanted to ensure his sensitive discussions with Putin remained secret.

The official also said that Trump doesn’t want aides — who may take a harder line on Russia — undercutting or interrupting him during his talks with Putin.

Ahead of his meeting with Putin — who is alleged to be behind the assassination of journalists and political dissidents — the US President also lashed out again at the news media on Sunday by branding journalists “the enemy of the people.”

Everything from Russian meddling in the 2016 election to the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine are expected to be on the agenda for their summit here in Helsinki, but Trump has signaled he is most eager to jumpstart talks to “substantially reduce” the two countries’ nuclear weapons arsenals and generally improve US-Russia relations.

Trump is not, however, expected to offer to halt military exercises in the Baltics as part of his discussions with Putin, with a US official telling CNN’s Jeff Zeleny “at least that’s the plan going in.”

The question of the Baltics exercises has hung over the summit, particularly after Trump abruptly decided last month to agree to stop joint US-South Korean military exercises during his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump has said he intends to once again ask Putin about Russian efforts to sway the results of the 2016 election, but has signalled he will not press the issue.

Trump has sought to cool expectations in the last days leading up to the summit, saying in an interview Saturday that he planned to arrive in Helsinki “with very low expectations.”

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