Two leaders are meeting in the Finnish capital for a much-anticipated summit Trump made the brief remarks in front of reporters, at a conference table surrounded by top officials HELSINKI: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that he and US President Donald Trump have agreed to continue detailed discussions on arms control issues. Putin said Russia and the US should discuss a possible extension of the 2010 New START nuclear arms reduction treaty and the implementation of the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty. Putin added that other issues that Russia would like to discuss in the arms control sphere are the US missile defense plans and the weaponization of space. He spoke at their joint news conference wrapping up the Helsinki summit. Trump said the US and Russia must find ways to "cooperate in pursuit of shared interests." Trump said a productive dialogue between the US and Russia is good for both countries and "is good for the world." Speaking after the summit with Putin, Trump says they discussed disagreements between their countries "at length." Trump adds that relations between the US and Russia have never been worse. He adds that he thinks that "changed as of about four hours ago." He says he"s sure that he and Putin will meet again often in the future. ----- Putin says the "so-called Russian interference" in the US 2016 presidential election was brought up by Trump during their summit. Putin said: "I had to repeat that the Russian state never interfered, and does not plan to interfere in internal American electoral process." In general, he said, the talks with Trump took place in an "open and businesslike atmosphere" and he characterized them as "successful and useful." ----- Trump and Putin arrived on Monday at Helsinki’s presidential palace for a long-awaited summit, hours after Trump blamed the United States, and not Russian election meddling or its annexation of Crimea, for a low-point in US-Russia relations The drama was playing out against a backdrop of fraying Western alliances, a new peak in the Russia investigation and fears that Moscow’s aggression may go unchallenged. “Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse,” Trump tweeted on Monday morning, blaming “many years of US foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!“ The summit, which was being closely watched by rattled world capitals, was condemned in advance by members of Congress from both parties after the US indictment last week of 12 Russian military intelligence officers accused of hacking Democrats in the 2016 election to help Trump’s presidential campaign. Undeterred, the American president was set to go face to face with Putin, the authoritarian leader for whom he has expressed admiration. Trump was greeted at the palace by Finland’s president. The summit was starting later than scheduled because Putin arrived in Helsinki about a half hour late in another display of the Russian’s leader famous lack of punctuality. Trump seemed to return the favor by waiting until Putin had arrived at the palace before leaving his hotel. Putin has been late for past meetings with the pope and British Queen, among many others.