Turning towards the vehicle,Trump smiles and says: ‘Come on,let’s get straight into the vehicle. We need to move forward,both giving it attention. I know this is serious,it’s quite long. What a journey it is.’
He continues by saying to Putin: ‘It’s high pressure. Do you want the scoop?’
Putin nods: ‘Give me the scoop.’
The US president tells him: ‘It’s cargo fuel.’
After reaching the podium for pictures alongside the Russian leader,Trump says: ‘Thank you. Let’s shake hands,it gives a good impression.’
Putin nods in agreement,shakes his hand and says ‘thank you.’
The pair then get into Putin’s ‘Beast’ limousine and drive away for their ‘working breakfast’.
Something the cameras didn’t miss was the Russian leader’s face when a journalist asked: ‘Mr Putin,will you commit to not kill any more civilians?’
According to Nicola,Putin first shouted back ‘you is ignorant’,before cupping his hands around his mouth and saying: ‘You are ignorant’.
The media team were then forced to leave the negotiation room.
Putin and Trump could be negotiating the future of Ukraine for hours (Picture: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump and Putin were initially expected to meet behind closed doors,with interpreters the only other people in the room.
However,the one-on-one became a three-on-three,with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s top negotiator Steve Witkoff joining on the American side.
Joining Putin was Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov.
The UN has concluded that Russian forces have committed war crimes against civilians in Ukraine.
The Russian military has killed and Ukrainian civilians living in an area stretching over 100 kilometres along the Dnipro River,a report published by the UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said in May this year.
The Commission called the drone attacks widespread,systematic and ‘conducted as part of a coordinated state policy’.
They said nearly 150 civilians were killed and hundreds more were injured in the mentioned area.
Russia has denied all allegations of war crimes or targeting civilians.
United News - unews.co.za