US President Donald Trump said he would like his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 meeting in Miami, but he does not know if he will participate. “I don't know if he will come. I would certainly like him to be there“, Trump told reporters on the White House lawn.
The meeting of G20 leaders is scheduled for December 14-15 in Miami. The Russian sherpa in the group, Denis Agafonov, said earlier that the decision on Putin's participation would be made closer to the forum and would depend on its preparation and the geopolitical context. Moscow has not yet confirmed whether the Russian president will travel to the United States.
Trump linked the topic to the war in Ukraine and said that his main goal is to end the conflict. When asked about responsibility for starting the war, he said: “I know the details and at some point I will announce them. But I only care about one thing - I want this war to end.“ The American president added that, in his opinion, both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky want the same thing.
The Starshield dispute
Against this backdrop, the dispute continues over restrictions on the military version of the Starlink satellite system - Starshield. A Ukrainian military adviser told the Associated Press that since October 14, terminals have begun to limit the connection at speeds above 160 km / h. This has affected drones that use the system for reconnaissance, interception of Russian drones and other combat missions.
Elon Musk said that Starshield is owned and controlled by the US government, and decisions about its use are made by the US military and ultimately by the president. However, Trump denied that he ordered the system to be restricted. "It wasn't me and I don't think it was Elon," he said.
Reuters reported, citing an American and Western official, that the instruction to delay access to Starshield came from the White House. The Daily Telegraph, in turn, wrote that Musk suggested to Trump that a restriction be introduced, and the president agreed. Both versions remain at odds with Trump's public denials.
Trump denies Susie Wiles report
The US president also denied a Politico report that he was discussing with close advisers the removal of his chief of staff, Susie Wiles. "The story is completely false. She will be with me for a long time," Trump said.
He described Wiles as an important figure in the administration and said she had been treated unfairly by the media. In the same statement, Trump also commented on the pressure on press secretary Kathy Zacharias, saying he would talk to her about whether she wanted to stay in office.
Sources: apnews.com, thedailybeast.com, kommersant.ru