Crimea, Iran and nuclear arms: What Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin want from Helsinki talks

As the world waits for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s first bilateral summit in Helsinki, Washington and Moscow have both been playing down the possibility of any major breakthroughs.

Mr Putin’s spokesman said on Monday that the leaders wouldn’t make a joint statement — the two sides have disagreed over mentioning Russia’s electoral interference — and the “fact of the meeting itself will be the main thing”.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has said he goes into the summit “with low expectations”. For him, the talks with Europe’s political bugbear are a chance to promote himself as a tough negotiator, while Mr Putin can now show that the isolation that began after Russia’s annexation of Crimea has come…