Trump says U.S. reports have never been worse.

US President Donald Trump has cleared the way for meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on July 16th, blaming investigations into Russia's alleged intervention in the 2016 presidential election in the United States for straining relations between Moscow and Washington.

Trump will meet Putin in Finland's capital, Helsinki, at the first bilatheral summit in between the two countries in April 2010.

Trump and Putin will hold the one-day summit at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki until during this time talks will be held between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Our relations with Russia have never been worse, thanks to American stupidity and now to the manipulation of Witch Hunt! ”, Trump said in a post in Titeter, referring to the investigation of special adviser Robert Mueller.

At a breakfast meeting with Finnish President Saul Niinsto, before meeting Putin, Trump has appeared positive.

Asked what I'd ask Putin, Trump said: “We'll be fine, thank you”

Trump also said at the morning meeting that “NATO has never been more powerful” and that “NATO has never been more united”, following the July 11th-12th meeting at this alliance's summit in Brussels, where he has said members of this organisation have agreed to step up defence spending after the criticism he has made at the meeting.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said before the summit that Moscow does not expect an easy meeting.

Of course, the two presidents will discuss Syria”, Peskov said.

We all know what Washington thinks of Iran. But Iran is our good partner in trade, economic co-operation and political dialogue. So there will be no easy exchange of views”, he added.

Russia, however, has shown hope earlier that this summit will be the first “step towards exceeding the crisis between the two countries.