Video Shows Exact Moment Donald Trump And Vladimir Putin Finally Meet
Donald Trump has now completed the most anticipated part of his trip to Europe: meeting Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
On Thursday morning, July 7, a video captured the moment Trump and Putin shook hands.
The clip, shared by NBC News' Peter Alexander, can be seen below.
Alexander tweeted that the footage came courtesy of the German government, which is hosting the G20 summit -- the gathering of prominent world leaders being held in Hamburg -- this weekend.
There, Trump and Putin are expected to have an extended meeting that's been heavily talked about for obvious reasons.
Besides the fact Russia is a world power that has influence in major world issues, like North Korea's weapons program and the war in Syria, there's also the elephant in the room: the subject of Russian interference in the presidential election.
American intelligence agencies, including the CIA and FBI, have long concluded that the Russia government made efforts meant to hurt former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and help Trump.
Still, during a press conference in Poland on Thursday, President Trump refused to single out Russia as the sole factor that attempted to meddle in the election, insisting that "other countries" could have been involved as well.
In addition, Trump shifted the spotlight to former president Barack Obama, asserting that the "real question" was why his predecessor didn't do more to combat Russia's efforts.
In a subsequent speech in Warsaw, however, Trump hinted at Russia's reputation for interfering in other countries' elections. During the speech, he said the country must "cease its destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere."
The differing types of rhetoric used by Trump, in regards to Russia, make it less clear whether the president will address the subject of the election during his meetings with Putin.
Last week, the president's national security advisor told reporters that Trump had "no specific agenda — it's really going to be whatever the president wants to talk about."
Whether or not he wants to talk about Putin's involvement in American politics is something that is not yet known. But, after the president's meetings this weekend, we'll soon find out.
