Pool/Reuters
President Donald Trump sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin unaccompanied by staff at the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires in November, The Financial Times reports. Trump reportedly only had his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, come with him to the meeting that lasted “several minutes.” According to the newspaper, Putin was accompanied by his translator at the discussion that happened at the Colón theater while other guests were leaving. The four were reportedly “among the last to leave” and sat at a table while they spoke.
The White House previously acknowledged that Trump and Putin had met for an “informal” conversation in Buenos Aires, and claimed the chat was among a series of talks Trump had with foreign leaders. However, sources told the Times the talk between the two leaders seemed “longer and more substantive” than the White House previously acknowledged. According to a Russian government official, the meeting was about 15 minutes long and the two discussed foreign policy issues like Syria. The State Department, the White House, and the Russian government all declined to comment on the meeting. This comes after Trump reportedly sought to hide details of his meetings with Putin from senior officials.