CNN: U.S. officials were surprised and pleased by Putin's agreement to meet with Trump

US officials were delighted and surprised by Russian President Vladimir Putin's agreement to come to Alaska to meet with American leader Donald Trump. This was reported on August 13 by CNN.

"American officials were pleased and somewhat surprised when the Russian president agreed to a meeting (with Trump. — Ed.) in the United States," the article says.

According to the TV channel, when Putin named the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a suitable venue for the Russia-US summit, a number of US administration officials "hoped to avoid another long trip to the Middle East after Trump's visit in May."

Point of return: what to expect from the summit of the Presidents of Russia and the United States in Alaska

European officials are in turmoil after news of the August 15 meeting.

On August 8, Trump announced his meeting with Putin, which will take place on Friday, August 15, in Alaska. Later, US Vice President Jay Dee Vance called this event a diplomatic breakthrough for the United States, and also noted that the American side has high expectations from the upcoming negotiations.

On August 12, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt named Anchorage in Alaska as the city where the summit of the Russian Federation and the United States will take place. She said that these negotiations will help identify steps to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. At the same time, CNN named the Elmendorf-Richardson joint military base as the venue for negotiations.

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