Ivonne Abati ThP9

The originally globally watched 'Trump-Putin one-on-one closed-door meeting' ended in an unexpected manner - this long-awaited summit between the two leaders after six years not only temporarily expanded to a three-on-three discussion but also rushed to a close just three hours later, with even the scheduled working lunch being canceled. Putin's special plane almost immediately took off for return, and Trump hurried back to Washington. This meeting, which was hoped to be a 'breakthrough', was filled with tension from the very beginning.
According to the initial agenda, Trump and Putin were supposed to have a 90-minute private meeting with no aides present, allowing the two 'strong presidents' to address core issues directly. However, just an hour before the meeting began, the U.S. side suddenly proposed adjustments: Secretary of State Rubio and presidential envoy Witkoff would join, while the Russian side correspondingly sent Foreign Minister Lavrov and presidential aide Ushakov. This change was interpreted by Moscow as a 'lack of sincerity from the U.S. side', as Rubio is known as a 'Russia hawk' who has publicly accused Putin of 'interfering in American affairs' multiple times, and his presence would undoubtedly tighten the atmosphere of dialogue.