Vladimir Putin’s threat loomed over President Trump’s meeting Tuesday with three Baltic state leaders, but the president again refused to speak ill of the Russian leader, insisting he would prefer a “very good” relationship with the man in the Kremlin.
Mr. Trump also claimed that “nobody’s been tougher on Russia than I have.”
“I could have a very good relationship with Russia and with President Putin. And if I did, that would be a great thing,” he said. “And there’s also a possibility that that won’t happen. Who knows?”
He made the remarks at a joint press conference with the presidents of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, whose countries were under Soviet control for 50 years. All three have concerns about renewed Russian aggression under Mr. Putin.
Their chief goal in visiting the White House was securing a commitment for more U.S. troops and missile defense capabilities to deter Russian adventurism.
Relations with Mr. Putin have vexed Mr. Trump’s presidency since his inauguration. Dogged by special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russia’s meddling in the election, every utterance by Mr. Trump on the subject is scrutinized.
His reluctance to criticize Mr. Putin, as well as his recent offer for the Russian president to visit the White House, continue to raise eyebrows.
Still, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis came away saying they were confident the U.S. had their backs.
“On air defense, yes, we did discuss the deterrence capacity necessary to make sure that our deterrence is believable to everybody who might want to question it,” said Ms. Kalijulaid.
The U.S. has agreed to provide $100 million for large-caliber ammunition for the Baltics and $70 million for training and equipment, as well as help build the region’s defense and energy infrastructure, said the White House.
All three Baltic leaders praised Mr. Trump for his “political leadership” in the region.
Mr. Trump has strengthened NATO by pressing members to pony up their required financial contribution.
The Trump administration recently imposed economic sanctions on Russia for meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Last week, the administration expelled 60 Russian diplomats and closed a Russian consulate in Seattle in response to a nerve-gas assassination attempt on a former Russian double agent in the U.K.
Mr. Trump insisted he had taken a hard line.
“There are many things that I’ve done, and not only the 60 diplomats. Germany did four, France did four, we did 60. There’s nobody been tougher on Russia,” Mr. Trump said.
He noted other fronts where he bucked Mr. Putin, including buildups of the U.S. military and NATO, and expanding America’s energy industry to compete with the Russian petro state.
“We’re essentially now energy independent. We’re an exporter of energy. That is not a positive for Russia,” he said.
That didn’t preclude him from being friendly with Mr. Putin.
“Remember this: Getting along with Russia is a good thing. Getting along with China is a good thing. Getting along with other countries, including your three countries is a good thing, not a bad thing,” Mr. Trump said.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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