President Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, at 2 p.m. local time. The conversation comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
A senior administration official also told CBS News that negotiating a new arms control agreement with Russia could be a topic of discussion between Mr. Trump and Putin. The president told reporters Wednesday that what he says to Putin is “none of your business.”
The official described plans to update and expand limits on nuclear weapons as a “high priority,” but that when it comes to Mr. Trump, it is impossible to “pretend to know what is in his mind.”
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Senior administration officials also said Mr. Trump hopes to discuss including China as a party to any new agreement. Beijing has expressed zero interest in such a deal, but these aides told CBS News the president may still raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Mr. Trump walked with Putin to a group photo of world leaders at the start of the summit, patting him on the back. Prior to their meeting, the president had a joint meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and commented on the Democratic debates taking place back in the U.S., saying the first night of the debate “wasn’t very exciting.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump threatened the “obliteration” of parts of Iran if it attacks anything belonging to the U.S. Mr. Trump authorized new sanctions against Iran’s supreme leader and a cyberattack on Iran after Iran shot down a U.S. drone last week.
“Iran’s very ignorant and insulting statement, put out today, only shows that they do not understand reality,” Mr. Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. “Any attack by Iran on anything American will be met with great and overwhelming force. In some areas, overwhelming will mean obliteration.”
Mr. Trump has been criticized for his relationship with Putin, which Democrats have characterized as too friendly. The president headlines for telling ABC News he would probably take a look at information from foreign governments that could hurt his opponents.
Special counsel Robert Mueller concluded in his report that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to the benefit of Mr. Trump’s campaign, although he could not establish that campaign officials conspired to influence the election with Russia. Mr. Trump has repeatedly expressed doubt about whether Russia interfered in the election.
However, Mr. Trump argued that he has been “tougher on Russia than any president” in an interview with “Face the Nation” in February.
Mr. Trump is also expected to meet with Xi and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, among other world leaders. A trade deal with China still has yet to come to fruition, and Mr. Trump tweeted that he would discuss sanctions with Indian President Narendra Modi as well.
Margaret Brennan and Kathryn Watson contributed to this report
