(Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his meeting with Vladimir Putin would lead to “big results,” in a continuing bid to calm a storm over his failure to criticize the Russian leader for Moscow’s actions to undermine the 2016 U.S. election. In a tweet Trump said he elicited a promise from Putin to help negotiate with North Korea but did not say how. “Russia has agreed to help with North Korea, where relationships with us are very good and the process is moving along,” he said. “There is no rush, the sanctions remain! Big benefits and exciting future for North Korea at end of process!” Russia’s RIA news agency, citing Moscow’s envoy to Pyongyang, reported on Wednesday that a summit between the leaders of Russia and North Korea is “on the agenda” and that it would be “logical” to raise the idea of lifting sanctions.
Trump met North Korea’s Kim Jong Un last month in the first meeting between leaders of the two countries, and recently received a letter from Kim expressed hope for “practical actions” in the future.
Trump had said he and Putin discussed reducing nuclear weapons worldwide.
“So many people at the higher ends of intelligence loved my press conference performance in Helsinki,” Trump said in a series of early-morning tweets about their Monday summit. “Putin and I discussed many important subjects at our earlier meeting. We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match. Big results will come!”
Republicans and Democrats both accused him of siding with an adversary rather than his own country after he shied away from criticizing the Russian leader for what U.S. intelligence agencies say were Moscow’s efforts to undermine the 2016 election.
Instead, standing next to Putin Trump cast doubt on the agencies. On Tuesday Trump said he had misspoken and that he had complete faith in U.S. intelligence agencies and accepted their conclusions.
Trump also tweeted on Wednesday that his NATO meeting in Brussels last week was an “acknowledged triumph,” adding that his one-on-one with Putin “may prove to be, in the long run, an even greater success. Many positive things will come out of that meeting.”
Additional reporting by Denis Pinchuk in Moscow and Alison Williams in London; Editing by Jon Boyle and Jeffrey Benkoe
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionDairy products are one of Europe's biggest exports to Japan
The European Union and Japan have signed one of the world's biggest free trade deals, covering nearly a third of the world's GDP and 600 million people.
One of the biggest EU exports to Japan is dairy goods, while cars are one of Japan's biggest exports.
The move contrasts sharply with actions by the US Trump administration, which has introduced steep import tariffs.
EU Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said the deal underlined the "win-win" solutions offered by free trade.
Mr Juncker said: "[The] impact of today's agreement goes far beyond our shores. Together we are a making, by signing this agreement, a statement about the future of free and fair trade.
"We are showing that we are stronger and better off when we work together. And we are leading by example, showing that trade is about more than tariffs and barriers. It is about values, principles and finding win-win solutions for all those concerned."
US tariffs
The US was in talks with Japan and other Asian countries 18 months ago about a wide-ranging free-trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific trade agreement, but Donald Trump withdrew from this in one of his first moves after becoming president.
Since then, his "America First" policy has seen tariffs introduced on a range of items, including steel, which both Japan and the EU export to the US.
Firms in the EU, the world's biggest free-trade zone, currently export more than $100bn (£75bn) in goods and services to Japan, the world's third-biggest economy, every year.
Japan's Minister for Economic Revitalisation, Toshimitsu Motegi, said: "At a time when protectionist measures are gaining steam globally, the signing of the Japan-EU deal today will show the world once again our unwavering political will to promote free trade."
HELSINKI (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump emerged from a meeting with Vladimir Putin on Monday saying he saw no reason to believe Russia had hacked the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and the Russian leader “was extremely strong and powerful” in denying it. Trump held his meeting just days after a special prosecutor in the United States indicted 12 Russian agents for stealing Democratic Party documents to help him win the vote. At a rambling news conference after one-on-one talks, Trump said not a single critical word about Russia on any of the issues that have brought relations between the Washington and Moscow to a post-Cold War low, from Ukraine to Syria.
Asked if he trusted U.S. intelligence agencies, which concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, Trump said he had been told by his CIA chief that Russia was to blame, but he was not certain.
“I don’t see any reason why it would be” Russia, Trump said. “President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today.”
Before the summit even began, Trump blamed his own country for the deterioration in relations.
“Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”
The Russian foreign ministry “liked” his words and tweeted back: “We agree”.
At the news conference Trump was invited by reporters to offer even a single criticism of Russia, but repeatedly declined. Asked if Russia was at all to blame for the poor ties, he said: “I hold both countries responsible. I think the U.S. has been foolish. We’ve all been foolish,” he said, before veering into discussion about his election victory.
“I beat Hillary Clinton easily and frankly we beat her…We won that race and it’s a shame that there can be even a little bit of a cloud over it,” he said.
Trump’s repeated warm words for Russia were a marked contrast from the past week when he repeatedly rebuked traditional U.S. allies at a summit of NATO and a visit to Britain.
Asked if Putin was an adversary, he said: “Actually I called him a competitor and a good competitor he is and I think the word competitor is a compliment.”
Additonal reporting by Steve Holland, Jussi Rosendahl and Andrew Osborn in Helsinki and by Christian Lowe and Polina Devitt in Moscow; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Angus MacSwan
Speaking alongside the PM, Mr Trump said Brexit was an "incredible opportunity" and "whatever" the UK did after it left the EU was "OK with me".
Mrs May said they had discussed plans for an "ambitious" trade agreement.
Thousands of people are protesting in central London against his visit.
A large balloon, portraying the president as a baby, has been floated in Parliament Square as part of the demonstrations. Other protests are due to take place across the UK on Friday and Saturday.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionAnti-Trump protesters are staging demonstrations in central London
At a news conference following talks at the prime minister's country residence, Chequers, Mr Trump said: "The relationship between our two nations is indispensable to the cause of liberty, justice, and peace."
He also said:
The Sun interview was "generally fine" but missed out his positive comments about Mrs May - so amounted to "fake news"
"This incredible woman right here is doing a fantastic job, a great job"
The US is looking forward to finalising a "great" bilateral trade agreement with UK
He had not given Mrs May advice on how to deal with the EU but "did give her a suggestion... and I think she found it maybe too brutal"
The US "looks forward to finalising a great bilateral trade agreement"
Mr Trump described Brexit as a "very tough situation... between the borders and the entries into the countries and all of the things", saying: "The only thing I ask is that she work it out so that we can have very even trade".
Mrs May said the US was "keen" to do a deal with the UK, adding: "We will do a trade deal with them and with others around the rest of the world".
She maintained the government's Brexit agreement "delivers" on the referendum vote.
Earlier, Mr Trump said he and Mrs May had spoken for an hour-and-a-half at the black-tie dinner, which he attended with his wife Melania at Blenheim Palace on Thursday evening.
"I think we probably never developed a better relationship than last night," he said.
Pots and pans on protest
By Jennifer Scott, BBC News
Thousands of protesters, mainly women, have flooded the streets of central London in the first of the day's demonstrations against against Donald Trump.
The crowd is full of whistles, drums and the all important pots and pans that seem to have become a symbol of this movement.
Whilst the mood is jovial, their motivation is serious. Most of those I've talked to are here because of Mr Trump's immigration policies, especially after recent pictures from the Mexican border.
There are also countless signs on his attitude to women.
Mr Trump arrived at the prime minister's Buckinghamshire residence by helicopter after visiting the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, Berkshire, on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, First Lady Melania Trump played bowls with the PM's husband, Philip May, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. She met Chelsea Pensioners and local children.
During Thursday's dinner, news broke that the Sun had published its interview with the president.
Mr Trump - who has been a long-time supporter of Brexit - said Mrs May had not listened to his advice on how to do a Brexit deal, saying: "I would have done it much differently."
Mr Trump also told the paper that former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson - who disagrees with the PM on Brexit and resigned this week - would make a "great prime minister", adding: "I think he's got what it takes."
But at the Chequers news conference, Mr Trump said he had been responding to the Sun's question about Mr Johnson as a possible prime minister, adding: "He has been very nice to me. He's been saying very good things about me as president".
In the Sun, Mr Trump also renewed his criticism of London Mayor Sadiq Khan over last year's terror attacks in London, saying he had done "a terrible job".
After it was published, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the president "likes and respects Prime Minister May very much", adding that he had "never said anything bad about her".
Image copyrightPAImage captionBianca Jagger joins protesters at the Stop Trump Women's March in London
Tom Newton Dunn, the Sun's political editor who interviewed Mr Trump, said the US president seemed "sensitive" and knew about the "Trump baby" inflatable.
"He's really quite stung by the criticism he's been getting," said Mr Newton Dunn. "He knew all about the baby blimp. I think it hurt him."
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan defended his decision to allow the giant Trump baby inflatable to fly and on the president's criticism of his response to terrorism said it was "interesting" that the mayors of other cities which have experienced attacks were not mentioned.
Meanwhile, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said the PM "should be standing up to [Mr Trump]" after he "slagged her off", instead of holding his hand.
Extra security is in place to police protests planned for the second day of Mr Trump's visit.
The president and first lady will travel to Windsor on Friday afternoon to meet the Queen, before flying to Scotland to spend the weekend at Mr Trump's Turnberry golf resort. This part of the visit is being considered private.
