Donald Trump turns towards his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at Helsinki summit credit: TASS / Barcroft

The row brings to an end the US president’s week-long tour of Europe, which have seen a string of policy clashes with traditional allies make headlines.

Mr Trump and Mr Putin pledged a new era of cooperation during their first ever summit together, but questions about election meddling were repeatedly asked.

Last week 12 senior Russian intelligence officials were charged with hacking into Democrat computers in a bid to sabotage the 2016 election.

View more!

Asked if he would “denounce” Mr Putin for election meddling, Mr Trump said: “All I can do is ask the question. My people came to me… they said they think it's Russia.

“I have President Putin; he just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be.”

He later added: “I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”

John Brennan, who was CIA director between 2013 and 2017, said Mr Trump’s press conference “was nothing short of treasonous”.

John McCain, the Republican senator for Arizona who ran against Mr Trump in 2020, said it was “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory”.

Mr Trump later tweeted that he had "great confidence in my intelligence people" but said "to build a brighter future, we cannot exclusively focus on the past".

06:38PM Putin received Russian ice hockey icon shirt from Trump

The gifts exchanged between the two world leaders had a sporting theme.

Trump was given an official Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 football, which he proceeded to toss into the crowd to his wife Melania at a joint press conference.

In return, Putin got a signed shirt from one of Russia's biggest sport stars - Alexander Ovechkin.

The ice hockey icon plies his trade in the shadow of The White House for the Washington Capitals, who this year won the most coveted trophy in the sport - the Stanley Cup.

Alexander Ovechkin, from Russia, holds up the Stanley Cup trophy during the NHL hockey team's Stanley Cup victory celebration in Washington credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Ovechkin is the team's captain and still holds the record for the biggest contract ever in the National Hockey League (NHL) when he put pen to paper in 2008 in a deal worth $124 million over eight years.

Putin was also given a puck as part of his gift from the US President, who leaves Finland for the US Monday night.

The Kremlin leader regularly laces up to play ice hockey in his native Russia.

05:57PM Trump releases montage thanking Finland

05:49PM 'Do you really believe that we try to shadow every businessman?'

During the joint press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected allegations that Moscow has collected compromising materials on US President Donald Trump or his family.

Asked at their summit in Helsinki, the Russian leader dismissed the claims as "sheer nonsense".

Vladimir Putin talks during joint press conference credit: Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Putin said that he hadn't been aware of Trump's visit to Moscow a few years before his 2016 election, which has been stained by accusations that Russians hacked and interfered in the campaign to support Trump.

The Kremlin leader, a former KGB agent, scoffed at the notion that the Russian security services try to gather incriminating materials on businessmen, saying: "Do you really believe that we try to shadow every businessman?"

05:35PM One-on-one meeting a 'good start', says Trump

Donald Trump hailed his one-on-one meeting with Vladimir Putin as a "good start" as the pair attempt to build an "extraordinary" relationship at their first summit together.

The US President said it was "a good start, a very good start for everybody" as the two leaders and their top advisers sat across the table from one another during a working lunch.

It followed more than two hours of one-on-one discussions involving just the US and Russian leaders, with only translators present. The White House had scheduled 90 minutes for that meeting.

Trump was joined at the luncheon by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman and other top aides.

Donald Trump participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki credit: Lehtikuva/Reuters

After the lunch, Trump and Putin appeared at a joint news conference in Helsinki. Earlier today, they both briefly addressed the media.

The US president praised the Russian leader's hosting of the World Cup, which ended on Sunday, as well as the Russian national team's performance.

Mr Trump did not list election meddling among the topics he said they would be discuss during the opening remarks, which only lasted a few minutes.

The pair were seated alongside each other at the Finnish Presidential Palace in Helsinki, the capital city, ahead of hours of meetings.

Mr Trump begun by saying: "First of all Mr President I'd like to congratulate you on a really great World Cup.

"One of the best ever, from what everybody tells me. And also for your team itself doing so well."

Russia unexpectedly made the quarter finals of the competition, knocking out former champions Spain along the way.

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump shake hands credit: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Mr Trump said: "Frankly we have not been getting along very well for the last number of years. I've been here not too long, but it's getting close to two years.

"But I think we will end up having an extraordinary relationship. I hope so.

"I've been saying - and I'm sure you've heard over the years and as I campaigned - that getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing.

He added: "I really think the world wants to see us get along."

"The worlds awaits," the US president said. "It's great to be with you", he added, before shaking Mr Putin's hand.

04:58PM 'I used to work in intelligence. I know how dossiers are made up"

Both sides appeared unified on the issue of alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US elections.

Trump said: "President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial (of election meddling."

Meanwhile Putin reminded the gathered media that he used to be an intelligence agent, adding: "I do know how dossiers are made up."

04:54PM Donald Trump throws football to Melania from podium

Vladimir Putin handed over an official Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup football to his American counterpart as a gesture.

The Russian President said as the US was hosting the tournament in 2026, the ball was now in his court.

Trump said he hoped he could do as good a job as Russia had done, before tossing the ball into the crowd for his 12-year-old son and massive football fan Barron.

04:51PM Putin admits he wanted Donald Trump to win election race

Vladimir Putin has admitted he wanted Donald Trump to win the 2016 presidential election race against Hillary Clinton.

The Russian President: "Yes, I wanted him to win because he talked about the need to normalise US-Russian ties."

04:39PM Trump and Putin 'trust each other completely'

Vladimir Putin told the press conference he completely trusts Donald Trump and that the feeling was mutual.

The Kremlin leader said he looks after Russian interests and that his counterpart does the same for his country.

Earlier in his speech, Putin said: "I had to repeat that the Russian state never interfered, and does not plan to interfere in internal American electoral process."

In general, he said, the talks with Trump took place in an "open and businesslike atmosphere" and he characterized them as "successful and useful."

04:37PM 'Both countries have made mistakes', Trump says

Donald Trump said both countries have made mistakes which led to the breakdown in relations between the US and Russia.

"I think the US has been foolish," the US President said.

"We should have had this dialogue a long time ago. We have a chance to do some great things."

Addressing the issue of alleged Russian collusion during the campaign in the race to the White House in 2016, Trump dismissed any collusion.

"There was no collusion. I didn't know the president. I had no-one to collude with," he said.

04:25PM Donald Trump takes to the stand at the press conference

The US President said talks between the two nations went "very well".

He said the disagreements between the two countries are well known, but that together the US and Russia were going to solve the problems facing the world.

"We've seen the consequences when diplomacy is left on the table," he said.

"Even during the tension of the Cold War, the US and Russia were able to maintain a strong dialogue.

"However, that changed as of about four hours ago.

"Nothing would be easier politically than refusing to meet or engage, but that would not achieve anything."

Donald Trump takes to the stand at the press conference credit: AFP

Donald Trump challenged Putin over Russian meddling during the 2016 US election. Also covered were what the US President called "Islamic terrorism", and the summit between him and Kim Jong-un was also on the agenda.

On Russian interference, Trump said he "spent a great deal of time" talking about Russia's alleged meddling, and claimed Putin has an "interesting idea about it" which he might want to address later.

Again, the pair shook hands at the end of the speech before taking questions from the floor.

04:12PM Vladimir Putin opens joint press conference

The Russian President has addressed the "difficult" relationship between the US and Russia.

Opening the joint press conference in Helsinki, he said now the Cold War is over, both countries face very different issues.

Talking of the private talks held in the Finnish capital, Putin said the discussions were "frank" but "useful".

Among the topics covered were Syria and international terrorism. Putin said resolving the humanitarian issue in Syria could show how global problems can be solved.

The Russian President has addressed the "difficult" relationship between the US and Russia credit: Reuters

There's "no reason" for the difficulties and tension between the United States and Russia, Putin said.

The Kremlin leader said he and Trump have exchanged "concrete suggestions on this topic" and will continue "work along the entire nuclear disarmament dossier".

Putin turned to Trump and the pair shook hands at the end of his address.

04:11PM 'Journalist' ejected from press conference

A man was ejected from the press conference before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin arrived.

The BBC identified the man as a journalist from American magazine The National, saying he was "asked to go with secret service" and "escorted out by Finnish security and US secret service".

He was holding up a sign which read: "Nuclear weapon ban treaty".

Security staff push out a man after a scuffle prior to a press conference credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

04:04PM Summit itself is a victory, says Alec Luhn

The Telegraph's Russia Correspondent Alex Luhn's take on the key meeting between the world leaders:

The very fact of the summit itself is a victory for Mr Putin, whose country was kicked out of the G8 and hit with Western sanctions following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and interference in the 2016 US election.

His one-on-one meeting with the US president is a clear demonstration that Barack Obama's policy of isolation has fallen apart and Russia remains a geopolitical force to be reckoned with.

The unity of Western leaders behind the sanctions against Russia has yet again been shaken by Mr Trump's confrontational comments in Brussels and London.

View more!

In May, French president Emmanuel Macron went to Russia to enlist Mr Putin's support for preserving the Iran nuclear deal after the US exit, becoming the first major Western leader to appear at the St Petersburg economic forum since sanctions were introduced.

Russian pundits have said the Trump-Putin summit could mark the beginning of a thaw or at least a step toward normalisation. Dialogue between the United States and Russia has been almost completely frozen besides a hotline to avoid mid-air collisions over Syria.

Embassy operations in both countries have slowed to a crawl following the tit-for-tat expulsions of hundreds of diplomats and closures of consulates and other diplomatic facilities.

The meeting of the two leaders could revitalise lower-level diplomatic communication.

03:53PM Joint Trump-Putin press conference to start imminently

The Telegraph's US Editor Ben Riley Smith is in Helsinki awaiting the arrival of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

With the room full of journalists and the microphones tested, the two world leaders will begin addressing the world imminently.

03:30PM Hillary Clinton takes aim at her old sparring partner

Hillary Clinton took aim at her old sparring partner Donald Trump, once again questioning his loyalty.

Trump tweeted his congratulations to Vladimir Putin for 'one of the best ever' FIFA World Cups, saying France had plated "extraordinary soccer" to lift the famous trophy.

But Clinton, who lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election, responded to the tweet by saying: "Great World Cup. Question for President Trump as he meets Putin: Do you know which team you play for?"

The Democrat regularly used her Republican competitor's relationship with Putin to attempt to harm his chances in the race to the White House.

It resulted in the pair exchanging barbs, during which both politicians labelled each other "puppets".

02:54PM Another handshake between the world leaders

After the two-hour face-to-face meeting, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shook hands again, this time in a warmer embrace.

Melania Trump was stood behind them in yellow, and a photograph captured the moment inside the Finnish Presidential Palace.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin embrace for a second time credit: Andalou

02:36PM One-on-one meeting was 'good start', Trump says

The face-to-face meeting behind closed doors between the US and Russian presidents has finished in Helsinki.

Donald Trump described it as a "good start" after he and Vladimir Putin spent time alone with only interpreters for company inside the Finnish Presidential Palace.

With a wink and a slouch, respectively, President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin opened their long-awaited summit Monday as the American leader declared that "the world wants to see us get along" and predicted rosy future relations.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin sit opposite each other at an extended bilateral meeting credit: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Trump laid out a list of topics for discussion that notably did not include Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The pair will now share a working lunch, during which it is understood aides will be welcomed to join discussions.

02:08PM Leading Finnish newspaper takes free press swipe at presidents

A leading Finnish newspaper took a swipe at Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's relationships with the media.

HelsinginSanomat booked 300 spaces for billboards and posters on the route the presidents took from the airport to the Finnish Presidential Palace.

Emblazoned across the advertising boards were headlines from the paper, aimed to highlight the importance of freedom of the press.

A poster in Helsinki credit: UPI / Barcroft

Kaius Niemi, Senior Editor-in-Chief of the paper, said: "This is a statement on behalf of critical and high quality journalism. As we welcome the presidents to the summit in Finland, we want to remind them of the importance of free press. The media shouldn’t be the lap dog of any president or regime.

“We want to show our support to those colleagues who have to fight in ever toughening circumstances on a daily basis both in the US and Russia. Our goal is to raise the topic of the freedom of the press around the world.”

Relations between both the Russian and United States presidents and the free press have been problematic.

In Russia, the freedom of the press has become almost non-existent during the reign of Putin and in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, Russia is ranked 148th from 180 countries.

A billboard with a message to US President Donald Trump is seen in Helsinki credit: UPI / Barcroft

The United States is ranked 45th, considerably higher than Russia but still far from the top and President Trump's liberal use of the phrase "fake news" to describe certified news stories is synonymous with his contemptuous statements and attitude towards the media.

Mr Niemi said: “We need to work harder to ensure press freedom in Finland," a country ranked fourth in the index.

01:29PM PM did not ask Trump to raise Salisbury poisonings

Prime Minister Theresa May did not ask Donald Trump to raise the Salisbury poisonings with Vladimir Putin at their Helsinki meeting, Downing Street has said.

Mrs May's spokesman said that the US President had already made clear, not least through his expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats, that he shares the PM's judgment that Moscow was responsible for the nerve agent attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal that last week claimed the life of Dawn Sturgess.

The spokesman said the Government remained committed to "constructive dialogue" with Washington over steel tariffs, after Mr Trump described the EU as "a foe" of the US in trade terms.

Mr Trump did not mention the Salisbury case at Friday's Chequers press conference when he listed the subjects he plans to raise with the Russian president in Finland.

But a Downing Street spokesman told reporters on Monday that the pair had discussed the poisoning during their private talks at Mrs May's official country residence in Buckinghamshire.

View more!

He said Mrs May had made clear in a speech at Blenheim Palace on Thursday that she welcomed the Trump-Putin meeting, stating that "open channels of communication between the US and Russia are a key to managing the risks of confrontation".

Asked whether Mrs May had urged Mr Trump to raise the Salisbury attack with Mr Putin, the PM's spokesman said: "The US position has been set out very clearly by the president with relation to the Skripals.

"I don't know what he will be discussing today, but he and the Prime Minister both have an agreed position on this.

"They discussed the Skripal case and the ongoing situation in Salisbury, but she didn't direct the president to do anything in particular because the position the US has set out on this is very, very clear and the president couldn't have been clearer in public about who he believes is responsible and the action that they have taken."

View more!

Speaking to CBS News ahead of the Putin meeting, Mr Trump said: "I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade ... you wouldn't think of the European Union, but they're a foe."

He said that Russia is a foe "in certain respects" and that China is a foe "economically ... but that doesn't mean they are bad. It doesn't mean anything. It means that they are competitive".

In response, Mrs May's spokesman said: "We have said before that it is important we engage in constructive dialogue to find the right way forward when it comes to the disagreement currently taking place on tariffs."

Mr Trump also told ITV's Good Morning Britain that Mrs May should seek a "carve out" in any Brexit deal with the EU which would allow the UK to secure a trade agreement with the US.

"I think we're going to have a great trade deal," Mr Trump told interviewer Piers Morgan.

"I really have no doubt about it, we're going to get it.

View more!

"Now, if they do whatever they do, they have to... I said, make sure that you have a carve-out. You know, I've called it a carve-out for this.

"You have to have a carve-out where no matter what happens they have the right to make a deal with the United States."

01:06PM Putin's lateness: Deliberate tactic or just a tardy trait

Famous for his tardiness at official talks, President Vladimir Putin did it again Monday - to US President Donald Trump.

Putin long has sought to meet with Trump, but the Russian leader was 35 minutes late to arrive at their closely watched summit in the Finnish capital.

The delay followed a long tradition set since Putin's first election in 2000.

Famous victims of his lack of punctuality included Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis among many others.

Donald Trump sits upright while Vladimir Putin leans back in his chair credit: Mikhail Metzel/TASS

In 2014, he was hours late for a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after his previous stop in Serbia lasted longer than usual, involving a protracted military parade.

Some Kremlin watchers saw Putin's lack of punctuality as a deliberate tactic of trying to throw his counterpart off balance, but others pointed out that it appears to be more of a personal trait than a well-calculated strategy.

Putin is also chronically late for official events in Moscow, often because he lets preceding meetings run longer than expected.

He often holds meetings in late evenings and starts his days relatively late.

12:45PM American relations with Russia 'never worse', says Trump

American relations with Russia have "never been worse", Donald Trump has said ahead of one-on-one talks with Vladimir Putin.

The US president set the scene for his summit with the Russian leader with a post on Twitter hours before the pair are scheduled to meet in Helsinki.

Their summit in Helsinki will play out against a backdrop of fraying Western alliances, the investigation into Russian election meddling and fears that Moscow's aggression might go unpunished.

But blaming the chill in relations with Moscow on the investigations into alleged Russian interference in his election victory, Mr Trump said there had been many years of US foolishness and stupidity".

He referring to US special prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation in his 7am tweet:

The Trump-Putin meeting has been condemned in advance by various members of Congress from both parties after the US indictment last week of 12 Russians accused of hacking Democrats in the 2016 election to help Mr Trump.

Undeterred, the American president is set to go face-to-face with Putin, the authoritarian leader for whom he has expressed admiration.

Mr Trump met Sauli Niinistö, the Finnish president, in Helsinki on Monday morning ahead of talks with Mr Putin.

The US president talked up the strength of Nato and praised Finland for hosting the summit during remarks before their private conversation.

Vladimir Putin touches down in Helsinki credit: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP

"Nato has, I think, never been stronger. And it was really - it was a little bit tough at the beginning, and it turned out to be love," Mr Trump said.

Parts of central Helsinki have been roped off from the public ahead of the summit, with police officers manning the perimeters.

A dozen protesters waving Ukrainian flags and holding posters saying "President Trump stand with Ukraine!" were demonstrating at a central park in the city.

12:37PM 'The world wants to see us getting along'

President Donald Trump says at the start of his summit with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki that he thinks "the world wants to see us get along."

Trump says the two countries have "great opportunities," saying they have not been getting along for the past few years. He says he thinks they can have an "extraordinary relationship."

He says their discussions will involve trade, the military, missiles, nuclear weapons and China, including their "mutual friend" China's Xi Jingping. He did not mention Russia's meddling in the U.S. election.

View more!

The two leaders were seated together in a room adorned by American and Russian flags at the Finnish Presidential Palace, separated by a small table.

The meeting started about 45 minutes late following Putin's delayed arrival to Finland.

12:16PM Trump and Putin shake hands ahead of talks

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shook hands after sitting down together to briefly talk to the gathered media.

Before the show of mutual respect, the US President said: "The world wants to see us getting along - we're two great nuclear powers.

"It's not a good thing, it's a bad thing. Hopefully we can do something about that.

Trump and Putin shake hands ahead of talks credit: Sky News

"I look forward to our personal discussions, we all have a lot of questions and hopefully we can come up with answers."

12:13PM The two Presidents pictured together at crunch summit

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have sat down together inside the Finnish Presidential Palace in Helsinki.

There was no handshake and both men looked stern as they talked briefly to reporters.

Mr Trump congratulated Putin on the success of the Football World Cup.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin credit: BBC

12:03PM Both presidents arrive at Helsinki palace for talks

President Donald Trump has arrived at the Finnish Presidential Palace for his face-to-face talks with his Russian counterpart.

Vladimir Putin was running late, leading to speculation the day's schedule would have to be put back.

But having landed in Helsinki, he was whisked off to the palace to meet the US President and actually arrived at the venue before Trump.

Both men were followed through the lobby with their entourages, which included the First Lady Melania Trump, although they will be left waiting in the wings as the two men go one-on-one for the private talks.

11:43AM Sticking points for Trump and Putin at summit

The US and Russian presidents may swap compliments at their first summit in Helsinki, but they are deeply divided on issues including Syria, Ukraine and alleged Russian election-meddling.

Washington has imposed a series of sanctions against Russia over recent years, some of which Mr Trump himself reluctantly signed off on after taking office in 2017.

Here is a summary of the sticking points between the two powers:

Russian 'meddling'

Since the start of Mr Trump's presidency, relations have been tainted by allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US election and suspicions that the billionaire's campaign team colluded with the Kremlin.

Russia has denied any interference. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has insisted that Mr Trump at his meeting with Mr Putin "will make clear that meddling in our elections is completely unacceptable".

Ahead of the summit, 12 Russian military intelligence agents were indicted for hacking Democrats during the election.

War in Ukraine

Along with its Western allies, the US accuses Moscow of providing military support to pro-Russian separatists fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine. Russia denies this.

Washington long resisted providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, fearing this could exacerbate the conflict, but in March the US approved a deal to sell anti-tank missiles to Kiev, angering Russia.

Mr Trump has made evasive comments on whether Washington might recognise Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Syria attacks

Air strikes on Syria by the US and its allies in April 2017 and April 2018 in response to alleged chemical attacks by President Bashar al-Assad's forces have infuriated Russia.

In February, Moscow said a number of Russian civilians were killed by US-led coalition bombing. These were reportedly mercenaries fighting alongside pro-regime forces.

North Korea

Russia reacted positively to a June 12 meeting between Mr Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

They signed a joint declaration but did not achieve any concrete breakthroughs on Pyongyang's nuclear activities.

View more!

Disarmament feuds

The US and Russia have accused each other of breaking international agreements over disarmament.

In March, Mr Putin boasted Russia has developed new "invincible" weapons including hypersonic missiles and unmanned submarines.

The Pentagon in February called for a revamp of the US nuclear arsenal and development of new low-yield atomic weapons.

Moscow condemned the new US nuclear policy as "bellicose" and "anti-Russian."

Tensions over Nato

Moscow views Nato's moves to beef up its eastern defences as aggressive steps aimed at encircling Russia.

Russia is also concerned at Nato plans launched in 2010 for a European missile shield that is due to be completed in 2020 with installations in Romania and Poland.

Mr Trump has lashed out at other Nato allies, urging them to spend more on defence.

Video: Donald Trump interview - Nato, Putin and Brexit

Iran nuclear deal

Mr Trump's unilateral decision to pull out of the Iranian nuclear deal signed in 2015 after lengthy negotiations and to reimpose sanctions on Iran left both Russia and the West flabbergasted.

Russia, which has close ties both with Syria and Iran, has said European countries must "jointly defend their legal interests" in the deal.

Spy poisoning

The United States this year joined in a wave of expulsions of Russian diplomats from various countries over the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in Salisbury, which the British government has blamed on Moscow.

View more!

Trade war

Russia in early July raised import duties on some US imported goods in response to steep tariffs announced by the US on its steel and aluminium, part of a global trade war.

11:40AM Russian President's limousine debuts abroad

President Vladimir Putin is using a newly designed Russian limousine abroad for the first time to get to the summit with President Donald Trump in Finland.

Putin first used the Kortezh limousine during his inauguration in May but had never taken it abroad until now. Putin landed in Helsinki behind schedule for the summit.

President Vladimir Putin is using the newly-designed Russian limousine (pictured) for the first time on foreign soil credit: Mikhail Metzel/TASS

The use of the Kortezh could be a show of Russian pride to counter the U.S. president's world famous limousine known as "The Beast."

Putin's motorcade included several other vehicles of the same Kortezh, or Aurus family.

11:34AM Putin arrives late for the high-profile meetings

President Vladimir Putin has arrived late for his high-profile meeting with President Donald Trump - another display of the Russian's leader famous lack of punctuality.

Putin's plane touched down in Helsinki 30 minutes later than planned, pushing back the start of his one-on-one talks with Trump Monday.

Vladimir Putin and Russia's new ambassador to Finland Pavel Kuznetsov disembark from a plane at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Helsinki credit: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP

In the past, Putin was late for meetings with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis, among many others.

In 2014, he was hours late for meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, after his previous stop in Serbia lasted longer than usual.

Often seen as a trick to throw his interlocutors off balance, Putin's tardy ways appear to be more of a personal trait than a well-calculated strategy.