Lavrov Assumes Putin, Trump Will Meet During G20 Summit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says he assumes Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump will on the sidelines of the July 7-8 Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

Speaking in the Russian city of Krasnodar on June 28, Lavrov said it was necessary to seek a normalization of dialogue between the United States and Russia.

He said it “probably would not be right” if Putin and Trump do not have talks on the sidelines of the Hamburg G20 summit.

Lavrov said it was especially important for Putin and Trump to discuss the war in Syria.

He said he had nothing more to add about whether specific plans were being made for a bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin.

The July 7-8 G20 gathering will bring together the heads of state and government from the world’s leading economic powers to discuss the fight against terrorism, climate change, free trade, and other issues.

Lavrov said there are no plans to hold a summit in the near future on Ukraine’s conflict under the so-called Normandy Four format, which would bring together the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany.

Based on reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax