U.S. President Donald Trump has begun his first in-person meeting with Russian Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany directly after the two held a press conference.

President Trump told reporters:

President Putin and I have been discussing various things and I think it’s going very well. We’ve had some very, very good talks. We’ll have a talk now and obviously that will continue, but we look forward to a lot of great, positive things happening for Russia, for the United States and for everybody concerned and it’s an honor to be with you.

The two world leaders shook hands then Putin addressed the cameras.

Putin said, as translated into English through an interpreter:

Mr. President we spoke over the phone with you several times on very important bilateral and international issues, but phone conversation is never enough, definitely. If you want to have a positive outcome in bilaterals and be able to resolve most international policy issues that will really need personal meetings and I’m delighted to be able to meet you personally Mr. President and I hope as you have said our meeting will yield positive results…”

The two men then shook hands again.

Trump looked directly at the Russian President during much of the conference while the Russian President often looked forward and down with the occasional glance at President Trump.

The Presidents were flanked by two men on each side during the press conference.

Trump and Putin followed the public press conference with an expanded bilateral meeting.

This report includes quotations provided by the traveling press pool.

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