TRUMP: ‘I can’t stand there and argue’ with Putin

The U.S. president also noted that Russian cooperation is required when it comes to stopping the North Korean nuclear program.

THE DETAILS:

• “Every time he sees me he says, ‘I didn’t do that,’ and I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, as reported by The Hill.
• “I can’t stand there and argue with him, I would rather have him get out of Syria,” the U.S. president added. “You have President Putin very strongly, vehemently says he has nothing to do with that. Now, you are not going to get into an argument, you are going to start talking about Syria and the Ukraine.”
• “We could really be helped a lot with Russia having to do with North Korea. You know you are talking about millions and millions of lives. This isn’t baby stuff, this is the real deal. And if Russia helped us, in addition to China, that problem would go away a lot faster.”

IN CONTEXT: Kremlin officials have consistently denied any Russian interference in the 2016 election, claiming that the allegation stems from anti-Russian hysteria and the Western media.

“I can’t stand there and argue with him, I would rather have him get out of Syria.”

The White House has also denied having any links to the Russian government, accusing the Democrats of inventing and drastically exaggerating the Kremlin-related allegations.

BEYOND THE HEADLINE: The White House is yet to come up with an effective plan to stop the North Korean nuclear program.

While China, North Korea’s main geopolitical ally, remains to be the focal point of the administration’s North Korea policy, the president’s recognition of Russia’s potential role in the region is especially noteworthy.

In fact, Russia’s stake in the region is frequently overlooked by many policymakers who forget that Kremlin maintains its largest hub of naval capabilities just minutes away from the North Korean border.