Trump plans second Putin meeting, says U.S. inflation is ’perfect’

Investing.com -- President Trump announced plans for a second meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, potentially including European leaders, following their initial meeting scheduled for Friday.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump said the second meeting "will be more important than tomorrow’s" and that he wants it to "happen very shortly after" the first encounter. He indicated that the first meeting would "just set the table" for the follow-up discussions.

When asked about potentially offering rare minerals to Putin, Trump demurred, saying rare earth is "very unimportant relative to this." He expressed optimism about the prospects for peace, stating, "I think Putin will make peace" and that "Putin would like to see a deal."

Trump also addressed domestic economic conditions, claiming "inflation is down to a perfect number" and that there is "hardly any inflation at all." He added that "401Ks and the stock market are soaring."

On international relations, the president made assertive statements about neighboring countries, saying "Mexico does what we tell them to do" and "Canada does what we tell them to do." He also expressed concern about Brazil, saying it has "very bad laws happening."

Regarding the Middle East, Trump said he "would like to see foreign journalists going in to Gaza." When questioned about NATO, he stated that reducing NATO troops has not been "put before me."

Trump concluded by saying he "will know whether Putin meeting is good very quickly" before ending his remarks at the White House.

You May Also Be Interested In

• Equity risk premium falls to 2002 levels. What it means for stocks
• Morgan Stanley cautious on Coinbase, but target implies over 40% upside
• 'No panic anywhere' may be the problem, BofA strategists warn