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MOSCOW, April 4 (Itar-Tass) - RIA Novosti. President of the United States Donald Trump, at a meeting with the leaders of the Baltic States, said that he was acting tough towards Russia, but he did not renounce the dialogue.

"Apparently, no one was tougher to Russia than Donald Trump ... But if we got along with Russia, it would be good, not bad, and everyone agrees with this, except for very stupid people," said the head of the White at home.

He added that proof that the US took a principled position can be the supply of American oil and gas abroad, which, in his opinion, Russia does not want.

"Good relations with President Putin"

US President Donald Trump said that he could get a very good personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I hope that we will be able to establish a dialogue, and if I succeed, you will be the first to learn about this," he said at a press conference in the White House.

Trump noted that he does a lot to put pressure on Russia: "We sent 60 diplomats, Germany - four, France - four." Nobody was just as tough with Russia. "

"But I think we can have a good relationship with President Putin, I think it's possible and I want it ... This possibility is quite real, that I will have good relations ... I think that I will have very good relations with Russia and with President Putin, and if so it will be fine, but there is a high probability that this will not happen, "he said.

Bilateral meeting in Washington

During a telephone conversation that took place on March 20, Donald Trump suggested that Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting in Washington. This was at a briefing told the assistant to the Russian president Yuri Ushakov.

"If everything goes well, I hope that the Americans will not give up their proposal to discuss the possibility of holding the summit," he added.

At the same time, he stressed that the summit is only possible in the second half of the year.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, in turn, said that Donald Trump was discussing several possible venues with Vladimir Putin.

"As the president himself (Trump) confirmed on March 20, a few hours after the phone call with President Putin, they discussed the bilateral meeting" in the not so distant future "and a number of possible places, including the White House." At the moment, we have nothing to add, Said Sanders.

The deterioration of Russian-American relations

On March 26, US authorities, out of solidarity with Britain, demanded that 60 Russian diplomats, including 12 members of the Russian Mission to the United Nations, leave the country, and close the Russian Consulate General in Seattle and order the departure of the consul general's seat in Seattle until April 25. This expulsion of diplomats became the largest in the recent history of relations between the two countries.

After that, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the US Ambassador to Russia, where he was told that according to the principle of reciprocity, in response, 58 employees of the embassy in Moscow and two employees of the consulate in Yekaterinburg were declared persona non grata. In addition, the US Consulate General in St. Petersburg is being closed.

Link: https://ria.ru/world/20180404/1517872374.html