U.S. Donald Trump Following a widely criticized press conference in Helsinki, White House top aides met in the West Wing to persuade President Donald Trump to rectify comments about doubting U.S. intelligence evidence of Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential elections, according to the Associated Press. National Security Adviser John Bolton, chief of Staff John Kelly and Vice President Mike Pence sat down with the president and discussed the need to walk back from his remarks, the news agency reported. They also relayed messages from Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, including those of congressional members and supporters, pointing out that Trump’s laudatory words toward Russian President Vladimir Putin went too far, according to the Associated Press sources. During the joint press conference in Finland, Trump had told reporters that he doesn’t “see any reason why” the Kremlin would meddle in the 2016 … [Read more...] about Senior White House Officials Confront Donald Trump, Ask Him To Reverse Russia Comments, Report Says
Russia
Russia calls U.S. charges against alleged spy Maria Butina fabricated; demands release
Doug Stanglin USA TODAY Published 4:48 p.m. UTC Jul 21, 2018 Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, in a phone call Saturday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, said U.S. charges against a Russian woman as a Moscow government agent were "fabricated" and demanded her immediate release. Maria Butina, a 29-year-old Russian citizen, was arrested last weekend and charged with infiltrating American political organizations, including the National Rifle Association. Lavrov discussed the issue by phone with Pompeo in a follow-up conversation to the summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a statement by the Russian foreign ministry on its Facebook page. In the phone call, Lavrov stressed "the unacceptability of the actions of the U.S. authorities, who have arrested Russian citizen Maria Butina in the United States on the basis of fabricated charges, and the need for her early release," … [Read more...] about Russia calls U.S. charges against alleged spy Maria Butina fabricated; demands release
A Maine man appears on Putin’s list of Americans he’d like Trump to let Russia interrogate
A Mainer is on the list of U.S. officials that Russian President Vladimir Putin asked President Trump to turn over for interrogation by his prosecutors. Kyle Parker, a native of Old Town and a 1999 graduate of the University of Maine, was one of the key players in the passage of the Magnitsky Act, a set of sanctions against Russians accused of human rights violations that Congress passed in 2012 in response to the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a Russian prison.Russian Prosecutor General’s Office spokesman Alexander Kurennoi told the Interfax news agency Tuesday that Parker was among the U.S. officials Putin wished to question, along with former U.S. ambassador Michael McFaul. Parker tweeted a screenshot of the prosecutor’s list Tuesday with the message: “Look Mom! My name, spelled in Russian, alongside some important people. Honored to have made the cut.” At this week’s summit in Helsinki, Putin made what Trump called an “incredible … [Read more...] about A Maine man appears on Putin’s list of Americans he’d like Trump to let Russia interrogate
With U.S. quiet, Russia shapes summit narrative
Russia provided additional details Friday of what it said were agreements made at the presidential summit in Helsinki this week, shaping a narrative of the meeting with no confirmation or alternative account from the Trump administration. Not surprisingly, the Russian story line tended to favor the Kremlin’s own policy prescriptions, at times contradicting stated administration strategy. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with local officials in Kaliningrad, Russia, on Friday. Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik Russian Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with Russian ambassadors to foreign countries in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 19, 2018. Putin says his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump was "successful" and is accusing Trump's opponents in the U.S. of hampering any progress on the issues they discussed. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Search photos available for purchase: Photo Store → Russia already … [Read more...] about With U.S. quiet, Russia shapes summit narrative
Russia’s Foreign Minister tells Pompeo: Russian’s arrest ‘unacceptable’
MOSCOW — Russia's Foreign Minister has held a telephone call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in which he complained about the Americans' arrest of a Russian woman on allegations of being a covert agent. U.S. prosecutors have accused Maria Butina of working to infiltrate political organizations, including the National Rifle Association, before and after Donald Trump's election as president in 2016. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov "stressed the unacceptability of the actions of the U.S. authorities who arrested Russian citizen Butina on the basis of fabricated charges, and the need for her early release," the ministry said about the Saturday call. The two diplomats also "exchanged views on prospects for further building relations" in the wake of the Helsinki summit of Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the ministry said. … [Read more...] about Russia’s Foreign Minister tells Pompeo: Russian’s arrest ‘unacceptable’