Bolton meets Putin to discuss a summit with Trump

US national security adviser John Bolton arrived in Moscow Wednesday to discuss a possible Trump-Putin summit. Before they sat down to talk, President Vladimir Putin told reporters he regretted that ties between Russia and the US were “not in the best shape” due to “the internal struggle in the US.” He added, “I hope that we can talk today about what can be done by both sides to restore full-format relations on the basis of equality and respect.” Bolton earlier held separate talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a senior member of Putin’s Security Council, Yury Averyanov. At a news conference he has scheduled for later Wednesday after the talks, Bolton may announce the date and location of a US-Russian summit. It is expected to take place either in Vienna or Helsinki after Trump attends a NATO summit in Brussels on July 11-12 and visits Britain on July 13. Trump and Putin have met twice, although only on the sidelines of international summits, and have spoken at least eight times by telephone.