Sergei Lavrov's last meeting with the president came less than 24 hours after news of the firing of FBI Director James Comey, as questions swirled about Trump's relationship with Russia.
ADVERTISEMENTWASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the White House Tuesday as the Democratic impeachment inquiry raises fresh questions about his relationship with that nation.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will also attend the meeting intended to "discuss the state of the bilateral relationship," said a senior administration official.
Lavrov's last meeting with Trump came in 2017, less than 24 hours after news of the firing of FBI Director James Comey,as questions swirled about the president's relationship with Russia. It sparked a wave of criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, both before and after reportsthat Trump shared classified information with Lavrov during the meeting.
The latest meeting comes at another contentious moment, with House Democrats alleging Trump withheld aid to Ukraine meant to fend off Russian aggression in exchange for investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.
Trump and his allies have been accused of parroting Russian talking points by claiming Ukraine interfered in the 2016 elections and that Ukraine was involved in the hacking of the DNC server, an act the U.S. intelligence community has said was carried out by Russia.