"A clear strategy of a US president regarding Russia is not discernible after the meeting [in Helsinki]… The issue with Helsinki is that nobody knows what was discussed there and even what agreements were reached," von der Leyen told Der Spiegel news magazine in an interview published Friday.
The German defense minister added that NATO's stance regarding Russia remained unchanged.
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"We would like to improve our relationship with Moscow, but it depends on the Kremlin," von der Leyen told the newspaper.
Trump and Putin later held a joint press conference during which the two presidents expressed interest in improving bilateral relations, albeit without providing any details with regard to policy or strategy.