Kremlin official denies that Putin ‘desperately’ sought next week's planned meeting with Obama

Speaking to the press earlier today, a Kremlin aide denied reports that next week's meeting between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama is only taking place after Moscow's repeated and "desperate" insistence.

Yesterday, when the September 28 meeting between Putin and Obama in New York City was confirmed, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters, “They are quite interested in having a conversation with President Obama. After some careful consideration on our end, the president did make a decision that it was worth it at this point to engage with President Putin in a face-to-face-meeting to see if the United States’ interests could be advanced."

Yuri Ushakov, one of Putin's aides, told journalists today, "I want to point out right away that White House Press Secretary Earnest's announcement that the Russian President supposedly sought out this meeting—and repeatedly asked about arranging it—is not accurate." Ushakov said that the meeting was taking place at Washington's request. "We don't turn down invitations," he said of the Kremlin's policy regarding contact with Washington.

“The details of how these meetings are arranged [typically] aren't revealed to the public, but since the Americans have decided to release their own version of events, which distorts what happened in diplomatic backrooms, I must tell you how it all actually came together," Ushakov told reporters.

Interfax