Personal Chemistry Between Putin and Trump Appeared in Da Nang As They Met ‘On The Go’

The results of the APEC summit were summed up in Da Nang, Vietnam. Final statements were made about what had been agreed and what leaders hadn't had time to discuss.

The results of the APEC summit were summed up in Da Nang, Vietnam. Final statements were made about what had been agreed and what leaders hadn't had time to discuss. Contrary to what could seem the day before the participants who were watched by everyone — Presidents Putin and Trump — didn't shun each other.

On Saturday there was an avalanche of their photos and videos. Here Putin and Trump are together. They're in a good mood. They seem to step aside, but they walk over again and discuss something.

Despite what had been said the day before they had several meetings on their feet. Before that, together with other leaders of the APEC countries they literally walked hand in hand to the photography ceremony and discussed something.

 

But earlier Putin and Trump had a talk before the general meeting. We see Trump going to his place at the table, sees his counterpart from Russia approaches and greets him; a handshake and a brief conversation follow. There are people around them. Putin whispered Trump in the ear. Apparently, to avoid leakage of something important.

Albeit on their feet, but the Presidents of Russia and the US agreed on a joint statement on Syria. We'll cover the details later.

Now here's a piece of Putin's press-conference showing why this statement became possible.

Vladimir Putin: “Combat actions aimed at eliminating the terrorist trouble spot in Syria comes to an end. The recent events in the south-east of the country just prove this. It was virtually the last stronghold of the IS. Now it's important to finish this work and to consolidate the agreements on de-escalation zones consolidate the ceasefire regime to create conditions for the beginning of the political process”.

What else? Well, America isn't the only pebble on the beach. Our Asian correspondent Anastasia Sakhovskaya reporting on the run of the summit in details.

It seems like the whole world put an increased focus on the two leaders. On the sidelines camera finally finds Putin and Trump discussing something. They're about to finish but in a second Trump turns to Putin and asks again.

Vladimir Putin: “There was no full-fledged bilateral meeting but the leaders appeared able to make terms this way too. This is because Mr. Trump's schedule and mine too and certain protocol formalities that our teams, unfortunately could not cope with. Well, they will be punished for this. But nothing terrible happened. We talked during today's meeting We've discussed everything we wanted. We also agreed on a joint statement on the fight against terrorism in Syria”.

They did without an interpreter and found a common language on Syria. It's known that the document was prepared by experts specifically for the meeting in Da Nang. This morning it was finally agreed by Sergey Lavrov and Rex Tillerson.

Perhaps, the last details were discussed at this very moment. At least here the leaders had the longest conversation. They did it "on feet" or "on the go" as diplomats call it. But they made an enormous political path.

Joint efforts for the complete defeat of terrorists, constitutional reform and free elections. These theses were mentioned in the approved agreement

Vladimir Putin: “This highlights some absolutely fundamental things. Firstly, continuing the fight against terrorism, which is very important for the US especially in the light of the recent tragic events with terrorist raids that occurred there. This is important for us, for a country that has faced this problem for a long time. This is important for the whole international community. The fight against terrorism will continue with joint efforts. As for Syria, I consider it extremely important that we've confirmed the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country. We agreed upon the fact that after the fight against terrorism is over after eliminating the terrorist threat in this territory we'll move towards political settlement under the auspices of the UN”.

So the service of the Vietnamese protocol also did. They marked in advance who and where was going to stand. On the podium you can see papers with names. At all the photo-ceremonies Putin and Trump were near each other. The leaders always smiled at each other, warmly greeted and said goodbye for at least three times.

The relations of the countries are suffering the crisis and have political ice, which shut down, for example, a promising project in the Arctic. That's what Putin told CNN journalist:

“American companies were the most numerous Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, all of them want to work in Russia. So they banned Exxon Mobil from working in the Arctic, offshore. They simply deprived them of an interesting and promising work that would boost the economic power of the United States create additional jobs in the United States. It would bring profit, tax fees, etc. This is just one example, and given the limitations in the sphere of financing, etc. there are many other examples. Your competitors will take your place. It's unavoidable in the modern world”.

Discussion at the summit was a good dissonance. Not for competition but for partnership. Creation of a single market, a free trade zone in the whole region development of the digital economy. Christine Lagarde, the head of the IMF, was the guest at the morning meeting.

Before the meeting, Vladimir Putin had time to talk with the head of Mexico. Trump, who was on the other side of the table, stood up and approached the Russian leader himself. Journalists also asked about the grip strength. Trump is known for pulling the person's hand on himself but this method did not work with the judoka Putin.

Vladimir Putin: “I do not know about his habits, we don't know each other well but the US president behaves in a most correct and friendly way, and we have a normal dialogue. Unfortunately, there is not much time for us to talk about the whole complex of our relations and there is something to discuss in the sphere of security and economic cooperation which is almost at zero point today. That's why we and our teams definitely need to find an opportunity to sit down to talk about the whole range of our relations”.

Trump hogs the covers with all his might. In politics and economy, he demonstratively ignored two joint meetings and forced his colleagues to include the thesis of unfair trade in the final declaration of the summit which, of course, is unfair from America's point of view.

Vietnam is the second last point of Trump's almost two-week Asian tour. He arrived here after visiting Japan, South Korea and China.

If geographically his route was quite logical, in terms of political logic, or rather its changeability and sometimes even absence, the route had unthinkable zigzags, with rhetoric changing so fast that it seemed like the US President spoke different languages in different countries.

Here Trump in Seoul threatens North Korea with military force. Right after this in Beijing, he said no word about the "dictator" and "hell on Earth" as he called Kim Jong-un and his regime. But Trump has such a face that it seems to cost him tremendous efforts to save it.

And here in Da Nang he does not hold back, even his gesture is meaningful. Trump lashes out at China, where he just smiled so sweetly, and at Russia although he admitted that he hadn't discussed DPRK with Putin, he was sure that Russians indulged the country. Although Russia has a plan for solving the problem and a balanced, calm dialogue with China on this issue.

Vladimir Putin: “We note the absolute coincidence of views. Russia and China proposed a roadmap for solving this problem. It says what to do step by step. To stop rhetoric at first, then to stop aggression from all sides. And finally to sit down at the negotiating table”.

Trump himself spoils the relationship but, of course, he's convinced that everyone else is to blame. US-Russian relations aren't developing? Of course, Russia's mythical interference is the reason. It's already not entirely clear what interference in but, according to the US, it's better to ban Russian media.

Vladimir Putin: “As the saying goes, it would be funny if it weren't so sad, because those who do it in the US always thumped their chests, saying that they're the number one democrats in the World.

In this respect freedom of speech was always praised to the skies as the torch of democracy.

There's no democracy without freedom of speech. Attack on our media in the US is an attack on freedom of speech, without any doubt. We're disappointed, as we put it in such cases, but, of course, it can't be different.

And what's discussed in the State Duma — I saw it yesterday, it may sound sharp — but it's natural, because at the level of the representative bodies you can often hear extreme evaluations, sharp judgments and tough proposals. But we'll have to shape an answer. The answer will be tit-for-tat”.

It's just enough to watch this. After the final speech of the head of Vietnam, in which he handed the APEC over to Papua New Guinea, he warmly embraces Putin again. Here he says goodbye to Xi Jinping. At the airport the Russian leader is not allowed to leave. Delegates shake hands for a long time and ask to be photographed.

Trump climbs the ladder in proud solitude and flies to the Philippines where there's already a protest against his visit. Anastasia Sakhovskaya, Mikhail Artyukin, Yuri Lebedev and Julia Vorobyeva for Vesti on Saturday from Vietnam, Da Nang.

Brilyov: And now we'll take risk and explain why our program is somewhat happy that this time the Russian President, at least publicly, discussed only Syria with his American counterpart. We will take risk even as the Putin-Trump experts.

There's a mystical coincidence that Putin and Trump meet each other only on Saturdays when our program goes on the air. It was the case of their first telephone talk -Saturday — their first face-to-face encounter at G-20 summit in Hamburg-again Saturday. And we perfectly remember what happened in a few hours before and after.

In Hamburg there was the first handshake on the sidelines followed by negotiations. You can see how Putin and Trump look somewhere above cameras. It was Melania Trump. She came to remind her husband of diner. He got carried away by the conversation with Putin, as there is much on agenda besides Syria. But what happened then, apart from Melania sitting next to Putin.

Almost immediately the Congress adopted new anti-Russian sanctions by such a majority that even if Trump put a veto on it, it would be overridden. He signed it. Trump is tied round.