Rex Tillerson says Trump's meeting with Putin took so long, the First Lady was called in to 'get us out of there'
Steffen Kugler/BPA via Getty Images
"It is a very complicated relationship today because there are so many issues on the table," Tillerson said, according to a White House statement. "And one of the reasons it took a long time, I think, is because ... there was so much to talk about."
"And I think there was just such a level of engagement and exchange, and neither one of them wanted to stop," Tillerson continued. "Several times I had to remind the President, and people were sticking their heads in the door."
Although Melania was sent to break up the meeting, her efforts appeared to be ineffective.
"Well, we went another hour after she came in to see us," Tillerson. "So clearly she failed."
The meeting, held in Hamburg, Germany, was the first bilateral meeting between the two presidents. Trump reportedly "pressed" Putin on a variety of subjects, including the ongoing civil war in Syria and Russia's meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. They also discussed a cease-fire agreement in Syria and efforts to establish ties between the two country's cybersecurity assets.
"It was an extraordinarily important meeting," Tillerson said. "I mean, there's just - there's so much for us to talk about. And it was a good start."
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- Colon cancer rates are rising in young people. If you have two symptoms you should get a colonoscopy, a GI oncologist says.
- Audi to hike vehicle prices by up to 2% from June
- Kotak Mahindra Bank shares tank 13%; mcap erodes by ₹37,721 crore post RBI action
- Rupee falls 6 paise to 83.39 against US dollar in early trade
- Markets decline in early trade; Kotak Mahindra Bank tanks over 12%
- An Ambani disruption in OTT: At just ₹1 per day, you can now enjoy ad-free content on JioCinema