Trump, Putin

Russia is ready for further meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia’s ambassador to the United States said on Friday.

“The Russian side has always been open for such proposals, we are ready for discussions on this subject,’’ Amb. Anatoly Antonov told newsmen in Moscow.

Trump invited his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to Washington following their summit in Helsinki this week.

“Russia wants continual dialogue with the US, with the leaders meeting regularly to resolve issues.

“But the task is not to just multiply the number of summits.

“The task is to prepare for them substantially, to find common understanding for resolutions, to remove concerns and to move forward,’’ Antonov said.

Trump returned home to widespread criticism for accepting Putin’s denial that the Russian government committed cyberattacks in an effort to help Trump to win the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The summit had been overshadowed by a U.S. indictment of 12 Russians on charges of hacking into computers of Hillary Clinton’s campaign and other entities in an effort to influence that election.

Antonov said Russia was being victimised for political gains as the U.S. gears up for congressional elections in November.

“Probably after that, there will be some quiet, as the presidential race develops, again the subject of Russia will surface,’’ he said.

(dpa/NAN)