HELSINKI, Finland _ President Donald Trump opened his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, hours after blaming the frosty state of relations between the two countries on the U.S. government.
"We have a lot of questions, and hopefully we'll come up with answers. It's great to be with you," Trump said as he and the Russian leader met, offering his hand to Putin.
Among the issues to be discussed, he listed trade, nuclear weapons and China, making no mention of Russia's interference in the U.S. election, the poisoning of people in Britain by a Russian nerve agent or the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.
"We have not been getting along," Trump said, "but I think we will end up having an extraordinary relationship."
"Getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing," he added.
Putin said little, offering a more casual, almost indifferent demeanor as Trump spoke. He said he looked forward to "continuing the dialogue we have started."
The two leaders were scheduled to meet for 90 minutes, with only interpreters in the room, at Finland's presidential palace, an ornate yellow-colored building adjacent to the city's harbor.
Putin, as he often has in meetings with other foreign leaders, arrived 45 minutes late, his plane touching down at the time when his first meeting with Trump was originally scheduled to begin.
Following the meetings, the two leaders were scheduled to hold a joint news conference, although it's unclear if they will take questions from reporters or simply make statements.
Trump, who has sought a better relationship with the Russian autocrat, has casually lowered expectations for Monday's talks and been remarkably open about not having a clear agenda, even as he's mentioned several discussion topics he plans to bring up.
On Monday morning, he fired off a tweet blaming the U.S. for the poor state of relations between the two countries.
"Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!" Trump tweeted.
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs "liked" the tweet from its official account _ not a surprise, given Trump's eagerness to blame the U.S. government, not Putin, who sanctioned Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, according to U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials.
Hours later, shortly after Putin's plane touched down in Helsinki, the same Russian account retweeted Trump's statement with the comment: "We agree."
Dating back to his presidential campaign, Trump has raised eyebrows with his approach to Putin, offering comments notably more conciliatory than those typical of American politicians. His statements about the Russian have stood in stark contrast to his often harsh and insulting rhetoric toward other world leaders and his political adversaries in both parties.
Trump has not tempered his positive tone toward Putin even amid a special counsel investigation into possible collusion by his campaign associates with Russians during the 2016 presidential race. Rather, Trump has blamed the probe, which he has labeled a "witch hunt," for being an impediment to improved relations with Russia.
Since taking office, Trump has made a pattern of cutting against the grain of his own aides and the U.S. intelligence community on the subject of Russia. In March, Trump ignored a specific warning from his national security advisors not to congratulate Putin on his reelection during a phone call. The Russian election took place in an environment of state-controlled news media and with Putin's most prominent opponent barred from the ballot.
On Sunday, he tweeted to congratulate Putin again, this time for hosting the World Cup soccer tournament.
During an Oval Office meeting last year with Russia's foreign minister, Trump inadvertently revealed classified intelligence from an Israeli source.
And Trump's consistently strident stance toward NATO allies _ he threatened to withdraw from NATO during last week's summit unless other member nations upped their defense spending, and labeled the European Union a trading "foe" in a weekend interview _ stands to benefit Putin, who views a unified West as the main impediment to his expansionist aims.
