President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shouldn’t hesitate to hold another high-profile meeting in the wake of the Helsinki summit, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday.
“I’m happy that the two leaders of two very important countries are continuing to meet, and if that meeting takes place in Washington, I think it’s all to the good,” Pompeo told reporters at the United Nations. “It is incredibly valuable to the people of the United States of America that President Putin and President Trump continue to engage in dialogue to resolve the difficult issues that our countries face between each other.”
Trump invited Putin to Washington, D.C., for what would be the second bilateral meeting between the two of his presidency. The Helsinki meeting proved controversial due to the president’s hesitation to blame Russia for 2016 election interference and the poor state of U.S.-Russia relations. His invitation to Putin caught at least some of members of his administration by surprise, but Pompeo gave the idea a hearty endorsement.
“We have our senior leaders meeting all across the world with people we have deep disagreements with,” Pompeo said. “I think this makes enormous sense, and I’m very hopeful that that meeting will take place this fall.”
Trump’s performance during the press conference with Putin provoked a flurry of domestic criticism, from Republicans and Democrats alike.
“The president’s summit in Helsinki today should have been an attempt at confronting Russian aggression, hacking, and election interference,” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., tweeted. “Russia is not a friend or ally. As Americans, we stand up for our interests and values abroad; but I fear today was a step backwards.”
Still, the idea of a second meeting met with approval from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, despite her famously frosty relationship with both Trump and Putin.
“In principle, it’s always good for everyone when there are talks, particularly when there are talks between these two countries,” Merkel said Friday. “I think it must once again become normal for Russian and American presidents to meet.”
[Opinion: Trump-Putin the sequel would be worse than the original]
