The foreign minister is the highest-ranking Russian official Trump has met with as president. The Russian photojournalist was a TASS employee who regularly serves as Lavrov's personal photographer.
US President Donald Trump will receive Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov at the White House on Wednesday, even as a political firestorm has put Moscow's alleged meddling in the US election back in the spotlight.
Yesterday, on the same day- I had meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and the FM of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin.#LetsMakePeace!
White House deputy spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that, with regard to photographs, proper protocol was followed during the meeting. "You're kidding, you're kidding!"
Trump's critics cried foul over the White House invitation to Lavrov, whose government stands accused by United States intelligence agencies of interfering in the November election, which Trump won over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
"We regret the emotional obsession with the so-called Russian factor that is being zealously maintained in America", Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Vladimir Putin told reporters, ABC reported.
Since March 2011, the Syrian conflict has caused more than 320,000 deaths and forced millions of refugees to flee.
Peskov said Russian Federation stands ready to move as far forward on its diplomatic agenda with the United States as Washington is willing.
Bertans' Spurs advance to NBA's Western Conference finals
Their previous low was 92 in their Game 3 loss to the Spurs , when Harden scored 43. "I just missed shots, " Harden said. He's now leading all players in total free throws made this postseason with 101 (the next closest guy is at 84).
Representatives of the countries-guarantors of the truce in Syria (Russia, Iran, and Turkey) signed on May 4 a memorandum on the creation of four zones of de-escalation in Syria, which include the province of Idlib and seven other regions.
"We will look at the proposal, see if it can work", Pentagon chief James Mattis said Monday.
Over the past six years, Moscow and Washington have sparred multiple times over the conflict in Syria, especially concerning Assad's fate. It would also signal that the two countries have improved ties that Trump recently described as being at an "all-time low".
Russia's role in President Trump's election victory remains an ongoing controversy in the United States, and it certainly doesn't seem like the Kremlin is at all pleased about it.
The State Department added: "Sanctions on Russian Federation will remain in place until Moscow reverses the actions that triggered them".
Asked by a reporter if Comey's dismissal would cast a shadow over his talks with Tillerson, Lavrov acknowledged the elephant in the room by replying in a sarcastic tone: "Was he fired?"
Tillerson and Lavrov's meeting in Alaska comes 150 years after Washington purchased the USA state from Moscow.
Comments