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HELSINKI. – US President Donald Trump described his much anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as “off to a good start,” after meeting one-on-one with Putin for over two hours yesterday.

Trump made his remarks to reporters before the start of a “working lunch” with Putin and his aides, which followed the two leader’s private session.

Before meeting with Putin, Trump said that the US and Russia will end up having an “extraordinary relationship,” despite current difficulties, adding “I think the world wants to see us get along.”

Before his private discussion with Putin, Trump told reporters that he intended to discuss “everything from trade to military to missiles to nuclear to China.”

Trump was however condemned as “treasonous” for siding with the Kremlin over his own government agencies yesterday after a stunning joint appearance with Putin in which he seemed to accept the Russian leader’s denial of election meddling.

At a joint press conference after one-on-one talks that lasted more than two hours in the Finnish capital, the US president offered no criticism of Putin or election interference, saying only: “President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”

The comments set off a new firestorm in Washington and only fuelled the intrigue of why Trump’s refusal to criticise Putin remains one of the few constants of his presidency. John Brennan, a former director of the CIA, tweeted: “Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of “high crimes & misdemeanors.” It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin.”

Addressing reporters in the baroque surroundings of the presidential palace, Trump acknowledged that Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, had told him that Russia was behind the cyber-attack on American democracy but that Putin insisted it was not. “I don’t see any reason why it would be,” he said.

He then veered off into a rambling discussion of the Democratic National Committee’s server and Hillary Clinton’s missing emails – a move a seen by critics as a crude attempt to deflect and distract.

“Where is the server? I want to know. Where is the server and what is the server saying?” And bridling at the suggestion that his election victory might be discredited, Trump added: “I beat Hillary Clinton easily… We won that race. And it’s a shame that there can even be a little bit of a cloud over it… We ran a brilliant campaign and that’s why I’m president.”

There was swift condemnation from some of Trump’s leading critics in Washington, where intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia actively sought to interfere in the election to help Trump and harm his rival, Hillary Clinton.

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the Senate, said: “In the entire history of our country, Americans have never seen a president of the United States support an American adversary the way President Trump has supported President Putin.

“For the president of the United States to side with President Putin against American law enforcement, American defense officials, and American intelligence agencies is thoughtless, dangerous, and weak. The president is putting himself over our country.”

Jeff Flake, a Republican senator from Arizona, tweeted: “I never thought I would see the day when our American President would stand on the stage with the Russian President and place blame on the United States for Russian aggression. This is shameful.”

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, tweeted: “Missed opportunity by President Trump to firmly hold Russia accountable for 2016 meddling and deliver a strong warning regarding future elections… This answer by President Trump will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves.”

For his part, Putin acknowledged that he wanted Trump to win the 2016 election but reiterated his denial of meddling. He said: “We should be guided by facts. Can you name a single fact that would definitively prove collusion? This is nonsense.”

In the wake of last week’s indictment of 12 Russian military officers for hacking and leaking Democratic emails, Putin offered to allow the special counsel Robert Mueller’s team to visit Russia and witness the accused being questioned – but only if the US made a reciprocal arrangement concerning individuals charged with crimes on Russian territory.

The Russian leader was also asked about claims that he holds compromising material on Trump; there have long been rumours of a video tape in which Trump was caught in a Russian hotel with sex workers. He quipped: “I was an intelligence officer and I know how dossiers are made up.”

Putin added: “I did hear these rumours. When President Trump visited Moscow back then, I didn’t even know he was in Moscow … Nobody informed me that he was in Moscow … Please disregard these issues.”

Trump interjected: “If they had it, it would have been out long ago.”

The news conference followed a dialogue between Trump and Putin where only interpreters were present and a working lunch – the first such event between a US and Russian president since 2010.

Journalists gathered in a ballroom decorated with columns, golf leaf and crystal chandeliers and, behind the podium, five American and five Russian flags. Before the press conference started, a man, said to be holding a sign protesting against nuclear weapons, was bundled out of the room by three security guards.

The two leaders were an unlikely match at the podium. Trump, bigger and taller, had held political office for just 18 months; Putin has been at the top of government for 18 years.

Trump shook his counterpart’s hand and whispered, “Thank you very much”, before congratulating him on the successful hosting of the World Cup. Eager to take credit, he claimed: “Our relationship has never been worse than it is now. However, that changed as of about four hours ago.”

Later, questioned why relations had deteriorated so badly, he said: “I hold both countries responsible. I think the United States has been foolish… I think we’ve all been foolish. We’re all to blame. We should have had this dialogue a long time ago… We have both made some mistakes. I think the probe is a disaster for our country.

“There was no collusion. I didn’t know the president. There was nobody to collude with.”

The comments prompted consternation in Washington. Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska said: “This is bizarre and flat-out wrong. The United States is not to blame. America wants a good relationship with the Russian people but Vladimir Putin and his thugs are responsible for Soviet-style aggression. When the President plays these moral equivalence games, he gives Putin a propaganda win he desperately needs.”

Michael McFaul, the former US ambassador to Russia, tweeted: “The expectations bar for Trump today at #Helsinki2018 was so low. All he had to do was pushback just a little. He decided not to do so. Deeply disappointing.”

There was some relief for western diplomats in that the press conference offered few clues as to whether Trump had made major concessions that would undermine Nato or Ukrainian sovereignty. Asked about Crimea, Putin said Trump “continues to maintain that it was illegal to annex it. Our viewpoint is different.”

But once again Trump seemed utterly resistant to criticising the Russian president. Having branded the European Union a “foe” over the weekend, he said of Putin: “I called him a competitor, and a good competitor he is. The word competitor is a compliment.”

Putin, basking in the afterglow of Russia’s hosting of the World Cup, presented Trump with a football and said: “Now the ball is in your court.” Trump, smiling, replied: “That will go to my son Barron, no question.” He passed it to his wife, Melania, sitting on the front row.

Senator Graham tweeted: “Finally, if it were me, I’d check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House.”

Trump called the Russia investigation “a disaster for our country.”

When asked whether he believes the US intelligence community or Putin over what happened in 2016, Trump said “I don’t see any reason why it would be (Russia), I really want to see the server.” He added, “President Putin was extremely strong in his denial.”

And Putin: “The Russian state has never interfered and is not going to interfere into internal American affairs including [the] election process.”

“Could you name a single fact that would definitely prove the collusion? This is utter nonsense. Just like the President recently mentioned.” However, Putin offered to interrogate the 12 Russians indicted by the Justice Department.

Combatting the idea that Trump and Putin trust one another, Putin said, “You can trust no one.”

When asked about reports that Russia has compromising material on Trump: “Now to the compromising material, I did hear this rumor. When Trump visited Moscow back then, I didn’t even know he was in Moscow.” – RT/AFP