During a meeting with US National Security Advisor John Bolton in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to having new talks with US President Donald Trump in the coming weeks.

Bolton's meeting with Putin took place against the backdrop of Trump saying that he was considering a withdrawal from the landmark "Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty" (INF) treaty. That has left Washington's allies in Europe scrambling for information about Trump's reasoning and sparked security concerns.

Putin-Bolton meeting: Key points

Putin suggested a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of a November 11 event in Paris. Both leaders are scheduled to appear at the event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of end of World War I.

Bolton responded that Trump "will look forward" to seeing Putin there.

The Russian leader also told Bolton that he had been surprised by recent actions that Washington had taken against Moscow, describing them as unprovoked.

Speaking after their meeting, Bolton warned Russia "don't mess with American elections." According to Bolton, the meddling did not affect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, but it created mistrust with Moscow. Russia has denied any meddling.

The 69-year-old praised the "productive" talks with Putin, saying the two discussed arms control and the INF treaty. Bolton added that Washington has not yet formally withdrawn from the pact.

German reactions to Trump's threat to ditch nuclear treaty with Russia Merkel's government 'regrets' Trump's decision German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government voiced immediate concern over US President Donald Trump's threats to pull out of the INF nuclear arms treaty with Russia. Berlin said it "regrets" Washington's decision, adding that it urged Russia to "dispel the serious doubts about its adherence to the treaty that had arisen as a result of a new type of Russian missile."

German reactions to Trump's threat to ditch nuclear treaty with Russia Foreign Ministry: US move puts Europe at risk German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that Trump's move poses "difficult questions for us and for Europe" since the INF treaty is "an important pillar of our European security architecture."

German reactions to Trump's threat to ditch nuclear treaty with Russia Defense minister urges NATO involvement Maintaining the level of security in Europe was the primary concern of German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen. "Regardless of whether the treaty has to be saved or renegotiated, it is important that all NATO states be included in the discussion," she told reporters during a trip to China.

German reactions to Trump's threat to ditch nuclear treaty with Russia Nobel-winners urge action from Germany The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which won a Nobel Peace Prize last year, called on Berlin to intervene in the tug-of-war between the US and Russia. The potential threat to people living in Europe is massive, warned Johannes Mikeska, the head of ICAN's Germany branch. "That's why it is urgent for the German government to now mediate between the US and Russia," he said.

German reactions to Trump's threat to ditch nuclear treaty with Russia Greens: Ban all US nukes from Germany The Greens described Trump's move as "absolutely fatal." Annalena Baerbock, the co-leader of the Greens, urged Merkel's government to take a stand against Washington by getting rid of the US nuclear weapons still stationed in Germany. "If the German government is serious about its appeals to the US government, it must now say: 'We are ending Germany's nuclear participation,'" she said.

German reactions to Trump's threat to ditch nuclear treaty with Russia FDP leader backs Trump's argument Christian Lindner, the leader of the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP), said although he thinks Trump's decision is "dangerous," Washington's reasoning was sound. "What's correct is that Putin isn't adhering to the INF!" Lindner wrote on Twitter. The FDP chief also slammed the Greens' proposal to remove US weapons from Germany, saying it would leave Germany "defenseless."

German reactions to Trump's threat to ditch nuclear treaty with Russia Germany, Europe 'extremely worried' The deputy leader of the FDP, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, told DW that he was deeply concerned about the type of cruise missiles that were prohibited by the treaty. He noted that it "concerns a category of weapons that would reach Europe — not the continental United States." He added that he believes the treaty can be saved "if all sides share the intention of avoiding a really ruinous arms race." Author: Rebecca Staudenmaier



Series of meetings: Bolton discussed the fate of the nuclear treaty with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev on his first day in Moscow. Russia was ready to work with the US to salvage the accord, the Russian Security Council said after the meeting between Patrushev and Bolton.

What is the INF? The 1987 treaty negotiated by then-President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev prohibits the US and Russia from possessing, producing or test-flying ground-launched nuclear cruise missiles with a range of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (300 to 3,400 miles). The treaty ended the rapid arms race between both sides towards the end of the Cold War. The Soviet Union installed nearly 400 nuclear warheads pointed at Western Europe, while the US and NATO responded by stationing Pershing and Cruise missiles in Europe.

Why is the US threatening to pull out of the INF? President Trump has accused Russia of "violating the terms of the treaty." In 2014, then-US President Barack Obama formally accused Moscow of violating the accord by producing and testing a ground-launched cruise missile. Russia has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Could this lead to a new Cold War? Trump warned that the US would go ahead and develop nuclear weapons unless Russia signed on to a fresh agreement. The Kremlin responded by saying that Russia would be forced to respond in kind. Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent Russian military and political analyst, told DW that the world may need to prepare for a new Cold War.

Read more: Prepare for a 'new Cold War' without INF, Russia analyst says

Divided Europe: German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the treaty was a key pillar of Europe's security architecture and the threat to withdraw was "regrettable." British Defense Minister Gavin Williamson told the Financial Times that the UK stood "resolutely" behind Washington over the issue, and that the Kremlin was making a mockery of the agreement. Polish President Andrzej Duda said Trump's announcement was "understandable" in light of Russian activities.

Watch video 03:45 Share 'Moscow violates the treaty' Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/36yXc Lambsdorff: 'The treaty has served everybody rather well'

rs, ap/msh (AP, AFP, Reuters)

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