Bolton lays ground for Trump, Putin summit
US national security adviser John Bolton went to Moscow with a specific mission and a specific message involving a Putin-Trump meeting in July; however, the question remains whether "summit diplomacy" can resolve looming security issues in the Middle East.
MOSCOW — On June 27, US national security adviser John Bolton came to Moscow as part of an effort to lay the groundwork for a summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. After a closed-door meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Bolton was received by Putin in the Kremlin. Putin foreign affairs aide Yury Ushakov, Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu were also present.
Knowing that the issue of alleged "Russian interference” in the 2016 US election is a primary concern for much of the political elite in Washington, Putin started his introductory remarks with a subtle allusion that Moscow had nothing to do with it.
