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US President Donald Trump suggested ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Russian leader was a "ruthless" person, noting that he did not know Putin, Sputnik reported.
"I can’t tell you that, I assume he probably is. But I could name others also. Look, if we can get along with Russia that’s a good thing. I don’t know him [Putin]. I met him a couple of times, I met him at the G20… I think we could probably get along very well," Trump said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, answering a question if Putin was a ruthless person.
Trump said that it was too early to say if he and his Russian counterpart are friends or enemies, reiterating that he and Putin were competitors right now, noting that to get along with Russian would be a "good thing" for the United States "and frankly the UK and other places."
Putin and Trump are expected to meet in Finland on July 16 to discuss bilateral ties and various issues on the international agenda, which will be their first full-fledged meeting since Trump's taking office.