Trump calls Russian city incorrect name before crunch talk with Putin

WorldPolitics
14 Aug 2025 • 12:42 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • US President Donald Trump has mistakenly referred to Russia's second-largest city as "Leningrad" on Truth Social, despite its name being St Petersburg since 1991.
  • This geographical error followed Trump's repeated assertion that he was "going to Russia" for his upcoming summit with Vladimir Putin, which is actually scheduled to take place in Alaska, a US state since 1959.
  • The highly anticipated meeting between Trump and Putin is set for Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine.
  • White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt largely dismissed Trump's geographical slips and described the upcoming summit as a "listening exercise" for him.
  • Leavitt lowered expectations for the meeting, acknowledging that a definitive solution to the conflict is unlikely to emerge as only one party involved in the war will be present.

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