The remark immediately drew attention, given that the other meetings in Europe included with longstanding US allies, and the one scheduled with Putin would not include any other American officials. Trump explained that Putin was merely a “competitor,” and not an enemy.

In the days leading up to the meeting, he also referred to the European Union as “a foe.”

Reuters – Trump says Putin ‘competitor’, not enemy
ABC News – Trump says Putin meeting ‘may be the easiest of them all’