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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/11/putin-and-trump-want-political-solution-to-syria-conflict-kremlin-says
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| Putin and Trump want political solution to Syria conflict, Kremlin says | Putin and Trump want political solution to Syria conflict, Kremlin says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have said they see no military solution to the conflict in Syria and a political resolution was needed, according to a joint statement issued by Russia on Saturday. | |
| The Kremlin announcement said the conversation between the US and Russian leaders took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in the Vietnamese resort of Danang. | |
| The statement on Syria was coordinated by Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, for the meeting. | |
| Trump said the agreement with Putin would save many lives in Syria. “We agreed very quickly,” he said on Air Force One as he flew from Danang to Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital. “It’s going to save tremendous numbers of lives.” | |
| “We spoke intermittently during that roundtable. We seem to have a very good feeling for each other and a good relationship considering we don’t know each other well,” Trump said, adding that he and Putin had two or three very short conversations. | |
| Trump said Putin had reiterated that he did not meddle in last year’s US presidential elections, which brought Trump to the White House. | |
| The US president must grapple with the thorny issues of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions as well as trade wars in Asia on one of the trickiest diplomatic tours in decades. | The US president must grapple with the thorny issues of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions as well as trade wars in Asia on one of the trickiest diplomatic tours in decades. |
| Trump warns of the North Korean threat and says Japanese orders for US-made military equipment will help keep Japan safe. Read more | Trump warns of the North Korean threat and says Japanese orders for US-made military equipment will help keep Japan safe. Read more |
| The North Korea rhetoric softens as the president suggests he is open to diplomatic efforts to resolve the nuclear crisis. Read more | The North Korea rhetoric softens as the president suggests he is open to diplomatic efforts to resolve the nuclear crisis. Read more |
| Xi Jinping rolls out the red carpet for Trump, who lavishes praise on his host and blames his American predecessors for the 'huge' trade deficit between the US and China. Read more | Xi Jinping rolls out the red carpet for Trump, who lavishes praise on his host and blames his American predecessors for the 'huge' trade deficit between the US and China. Read more |
| Trump swings through Da Nang for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting (featuring one Vladimir Putin), before flying to Hanoi for talks with Vietnam’s president about boosting economic and security cooperation. | Trump swings through Da Nang for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting (featuring one Vladimir Putin), before flying to Hanoi for talks with Vietnam’s president about boosting economic and security cooperation. |
| US-Filipino relations have plummeted under President Rodrigo Duterte, who shares some populist and mercurial characteristics with his guest. The war on drugs and Islamic terror could join North Korea on the agenda. | US-Filipino relations have plummeted under President Rodrigo Duterte, who shares some populist and mercurial characteristics with his guest. The war on drugs and Islamic terror could join North Korea on the agenda. |
| With Islamic State having suffered losses in Syria and beyond, greater attention is turning to the broader conflict between the forces of the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, and rebel factions. | With Islamic State having suffered losses in Syria and beyond, greater attention is turning to the broader conflict between the forces of the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, and rebel factions. |
| Putin and Trump had agreed to continue joint efforts to fight Islamic State, the Kremlin statement said. | Putin and Trump had agreed to continue joint efforts to fight Islamic State, the Kremlin statement said. |
| They confirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and called on all parties to the Syrian conflict to take an active part in the Geneva political process, it said. | They confirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and called on all parties to the Syrian conflict to take an active part in the Geneva political process, it said. |
| Moscow and Washington agree there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict, according to the text of the joint statement published on the Kremlin’s website. | Moscow and Washington agree there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict, according to the text of the joint statement published on the Kremlin’s website. |
| It said the leaders “had a conversation before the group photo ceremony for the Apec economic leaders”. | It said the leaders “had a conversation before the group photo ceremony for the Apec economic leaders”. |
| Video from Danang showed Putin and Trump chatting – apparently amicably – as they walked to the position where the traditional Apec summit photo was taken at a viewpoint looking over the South China Sea. | Video from Danang showed Putin and Trump chatting – apparently amicably – as they walked to the position where the traditional Apec summit photo was taken at a viewpoint looking over the South China Sea. |
| Earlier pictures from the meeting show Trump walking up to Putin as he sits at the summit table and patting him on the back. The two lean in to speak to each other and clasp each other briefly as they exchange a few words. | Earlier pictures from the meeting show Trump walking up to Putin as he sits at the summit table and patting him on the back. The two lean in to speak to each other and clasp each other briefly as they exchange a few words. |
| Although the White House had said no official meeting was planned, it also said it was possible the two leaders would bump into each other. | Although the White House had said no official meeting was planned, it also said it was possible the two leaders would bump into each other. |
| Trump has shown little appetite for holding talks with Putin unless there is some sense that progress could be made on festering issues such as Syria, Ukraine and North Korea. | Trump has shown little appetite for holding talks with Putin unless there is some sense that progress could be made on festering issues such as Syria, Ukraine and North Korea. |
| The story of Donald Trump and Russia comes down to this: a sitting president or his campaign is suspected of having coordinated with a foreign country to manipulate a US election. The story could not be bigger, and the stakes for Trump – and the country – could not be higher. | The story of Donald Trump and Russia comes down to this: a sitting president or his campaign is suspected of having coordinated with a foreign country to manipulate a US election. The story could not be bigger, and the stakes for Trump – and the country – could not be higher. |
| Investigators are asking two basic questions: did Trump’s presidential campaign collude at any level with Russian operatives to sway the 2016 US presidential election? And did Trump or others break the law to throw investigators off the trail? | Investigators are asking two basic questions: did Trump’s presidential campaign collude at any level with Russian operatives to sway the 2016 US presidential election? And did Trump or others break the law to throw investigators off the trail? |
| While a majority of the American public now believes that Russia tried to disrupt the US election, opinions about Trump campaign involvement tend to split along partisan lines: 73% of Republicans, but only 13% of Democrats, believe Trump did “nothing wrong” in his dealings with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. | While a majority of the American public now believes that Russia tried to disrupt the US election, opinions about Trump campaign involvement tend to split along partisan lines: 73% of Republicans, but only 13% of Democrats, believe Trump did “nothing wrong” in his dealings with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. |
| The affair has the potential to eject Trump from office. Experienced legal observers believe that prosecutors are investigating whether Trump committed an obstruction of justice. Both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton – the only presidents to face impeachment proceedings in the last century – were accused of obstruction of justice. But Trump’s fate is probably up to the voters. Even if strong evidence of wrongdoing by him or his cohort emerged, a Republican congressional majority would probably block any action to remove him from office. (Such an action would be a historical rarity.) | The affair has the potential to eject Trump from office. Experienced legal observers believe that prosecutors are investigating whether Trump committed an obstruction of justice. Both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton – the only presidents to face impeachment proceedings in the last century – were accused of obstruction of justice. But Trump’s fate is probably up to the voters. Even if strong evidence of wrongdoing by him or his cohort emerged, a Republican congressional majority would probably block any action to remove him from office. (Such an action would be a historical rarity.) |
| Former foreign policy adviser George Papadopolous pleaded guilty to perjury over his contacts with Russians linked to the Kremlin, and the president’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide face charges of money laundering. | Former foreign policy adviser George Papadopolous pleaded guilty to perjury over his contacts with Russians linked to the Kremlin, and the president’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide face charges of money laundering. |
| The investigations have an open timeline. | The investigations have an open timeline. |
| After emphasising last year on the campaign trail that it would be good for the United States and Russia to work together on world problems, Trump has had limited contact with Putin since taking office. | After emphasising last year on the campaign trail that it would be good for the United States and Russia to work together on world problems, Trump has had limited contact with Putin since taking office. |
| Trump publicly sitting down with Putin also revives the issue of Russian meddling in last year’s US presidential election, which remains under investigation. | Trump publicly sitting down with Putin also revives the issue of Russian meddling in last year’s US presidential election, which remains under investigation. |
| Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has been indicted in the investigation along with his former deputy, Rick Gates. | Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has been indicted in the investigation along with his former deputy, Rick Gates. |
| Trump said on Saturday that a good relationship with Russia was important. | |
| “In fact it would be a great thing ... because he could really help us in North Korea. We have a big problem with North Korea and China is helping us,” the president said. “If Russia helped us in addition to China that problem would go away a lot faster.” |