Trump Says Getting Along With Russia 'Good Thing' Despite Poisoning Allegations

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would maintain ties with Russia despite the UK blaming it for poisoning people on British soil, in an interview with The Sun newspaper.

Asked whether the suspected chemical attack in Salisbury made him reconsider his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said, "Getting along with Russia is a good thing."

Trump has been hosted by Prime Minister Theresa May in the United Kingdom this week. He will fly to Helsinki in Finland for his first summit as president with Vladimir Putin on Monday.

The talks come amid strained ties between Moscow and London. May has accused Russia of a role in the March 4 poisoning of a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in Salisbury. Earlier this month, two British nationals were allegedly exposed to the same chemical in Amesbury; one of them died later. The police reported that it had failed to find link between the two incidents.

READ MORE: Some 100 Counterterror Officers Still in Salisbury After Skripal Case – Police

The Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom announced that Moscow would consider the Salisbury and Amesbury incidents as anti-Russia provocations by London if the UK government did not provide Russia with access to the investigation materials and the Skripals.