Trump says phone talks with Putin ‘short, but good’

1 Aug, 2019 21:07

US President Donald Trump told reporters that he enjoyed his phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, but added that the US withdrawal from the INF treaty was not discussed.

“Short talk, but a good talk, I think [Putin] appreciated it,” he said.

The US leader added that he also offered help to Russia in dealing with the wildfires currently raging in Siberia. According to the Kremlin, Putin said that the country would take up the offer if needed and that he considered it a sign of potential restoration of normal relations between Moscow and Washington.

The US is to officially withdraw from the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) on Friday. When asked by journalists if he was going to implement the unilateral move, Trump’s reply was: “We’ll see what happens.”