On Thursday, U.S President Donald Trump, amid strong backlash against the Helinski summit invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to Washington this autumn.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the president asked national security adviser John Bolton to issue the invitation to the Russian leader.
Chuck Schumer, Top Senate Democrat in response to the invitation said, “Until we know what happened at that two hour meeting in Helsinki, the president should have no more one-on-one interactions with Putin. In the United States, in Russia, or anywhere else.”
Earlier, on Monday, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the much awaited summit with the prediction that both the countries would end up having an ‘extraordinary relationship’, not mentioning Moscow’s ‘alleged meddling’ in the 2016 US presidential election.
“Our two countries, frankly, we have not been getting along well,” Trump said at the Presidential Palace in Finland’s capital. “I really think the world wants to see us get along.”
Putin reported that both of them have been in contact including talking by phone and meeting at international events. “The time has come to have a thorough discussion on various international problems and sensitive issues.”
The summit had earlier been condemned by both parties of the Congress after the indictment of of 12 Russian military intelligence officers who were accused of hacking Democrats in the 2016 election to help Trump’s presidential campaign.
Later, post the summit, when inquired about if he agreed with the US intelligence assessment that Russia meddled in the 2016 elections, Trump told CBS News, “I have said that numerous times before, and I would say that is true, yeah.”
“But you haven’t condemned Putin, specifically. Do you hold him personally responsible?” he was asked.
“Well, I would, because he’s in charge of the country. Just like I consider myself to be responsible for things that happen in this country. So certainly as the leader of a country you would have to hold him responsible,” Trump said.
