Russian President Vladimir Putin Officially Invited to United States by White House
Putin was last invited for an official engagement on American soil in 2015 -- when Barack Obama had arranged bilateral talks with him on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Washington, October 26: Russian President Vladimir Putin has been officially invited by the White House for a bilateral visit to the United States in early 2019, said National Security Advisor John Bolton.
The NSA, while speaking to reporters in Georgia, said he extended an invitation to the Russian premier during his official visit to Moscow -- where he held talks with senior security officials. U.S. President Donald Trump Intends to Withdraw from Cold-War Era Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia.
Officials at the Kremlin were yet to inform whether Putin has accepted the invite. Russia had, in July, marked its dissent after President Donald Trump rescinded the invitation to Putin for a joint summit.
The proposed summit in Washington was then called off considering the protests against Trump for cozying up to Kremlin. The US President is already facing allegations of seeking Russian aid to meddle in the 2016 presidential elections. The FBI is currently investigating the extent of Russian influence on the American electorate.
Putin was last invited for an official engagement on American soil in 2015 -- when Barack Obama had arranged bilateral talks with him on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
In July this year, Trump held a summit with Putin in Helsinki, the Finnish capital. He has since been a votary for revamped ties with Russia, claiming that it will "help the US in achieving counter-terrorism goals".
Ahead of a potential Trump-Putin summit in Washington early next year, the two heads of states will be holding a brief meeting on November 11 in Paris -- where an event is being held to commemorate the centenary of the end of first World War.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 26, 2018 08:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).