President Trump didn’t have official note takers present in his first meeting with Mr. Putin in 2017, even though the Russians asked to have a note taker present. As he sat down ahead of the Helsinki meeting, Mr. Trump was accompanied only by a translator in the meeting with Mr. Putin. Mr. Putin said that he and President Trump have never had close relations, but they have established a trusting relationship. Now it is Ukraine and the related showdown in terms of relations with Ukraine and Zelensky,” Mr. Putin said. Mr. Putin said that he didn’t see anything discrediting in the transcript of the July conversation between Mr. Trump and Ukraine’s Mr. Zelensky.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 02, 2019 16:24 UTC