Trump says Putin meeting will go 'fine'

President Donald Trump says his upcoming meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin will go "fine."

Trump made the brief prediction Monday at a breakfast at Finland's presidential residence in Helsinki.

He was meeting with Finland's President Sauli Niinistö (SAW-lee KNEE-nes-tuh) in the hours before his highly anticipated summit with Putin.

U.S. President Donald Trump attends a working breakfast with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki, Finland, Monday, July 16, 2018 prior to his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Finnish capital. [Photo: AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais]

Trump thanked his Finnish counterpart for hosting the summit in Helsinki and spoke of his commitment to NATO.

Trump was a destabilizing presence at NATO earlier in his European trip, torching allies and demanding more defense spending before eventually reaffirming his commitment to the military alliance.

NATO at its heart is a bulwark against Russian aggression. Finland is not a member nation but has a memorandum of understanding with NATO.

Finland has also been the site of previous US-Russia summits.