President Trump met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak at the White House one day after the abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey. This is the first highest level contact and face-to-face meeting between the President and top Russian officials since assuming office in January 20.
Trump hosted the top Russian dignitaries in what can be described as a tumultuous relationship between the two countries, the lowest it has been since the end of the Cold War.
President Trump hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L) and Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak at the White House on Wednesday May 10, 2017. Credit: Alexander ShcherbakTASS via Getty Images
The appearance of Ambassador Kislyak at the White House with President Trump, although procedural and normal in diplomatic relations, was perceived as suspicious by the media and Democrats. The timing of the meeting with the man who is the focal point of obsession by Democrats on the Michael Flynn-Russia investigation seems to be a deliberate but bold move and sign of defiance by the President.
Michael Flynn is the former Trump Administration National Security Advisor (NSA) who was fired by the President after it emerged he had misled Vice President Mike Pence on his conversations with Ambassador Kislyak.
The President later told reporters that he had had a “very, very good meeting” with Minister Lavrov before adding the following on Syria, “We’re going to stop the killing and the death.”
President Trump with Russian Foreign Minister at the Oval Office, 10 May 2017. Credit: Russian Embassy-USA
The Russian Embassy in the US later tweeted a photo of President Trump and Ambassador Kislyak at the Oval office, an image that has infuriated the media and Democrats. The Embassy had sent out the images of Trump and Kislyak as the President was set to meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov.
Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov arrives in Washington exactly a one month after President Putin invited Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Russia as part of diplomatic reciprocity.
Minister Lavrov met first with his US counterpart Tillerson to discuss about Ukraine, Syria and other bilateral issues.
Speaking at a press conference later at the Russian Embassy, Lavrov remarked that “relations between our countries [US]… are not in the best condition.”
He proceeded to respond to questions on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US Presidential Elections, by saying,
“There is not a single fact (or) compelling evidence regarding Russia’s intervention,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the State Department, 10 May 2017. Credit: Al Dragon/The New York Times
At one point, Minister Lavrov appeared to mock American paranoia by stating how it must be “humiliating for the American people to realize the Russian Federation is controlling the situation in the United States.”
Lavrov, who has held the position of Russian top diplomat for over a decade had already been scheduled to be in Washington for the meeting with Rex Tillerson before meeting with the President.
Former CEO of ExxonMobil, Rex Tillerson, who has worked extensively in Russia as CEO of ExxonMobil has indicated an interest in reviving US-Russia relationships has created a working group to address the issue.
The two men, Lavrov and Tillerson appeared to have struck a more conciliatory tone after tumultuous start of the relationship in the last few weeks.
Relations between Russia and the United Stated went south when Trump conducted a unilateral airstrike on Syria, a move which angered the Russians.
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