Many administration officials believe the U.S. needs to maintain its distance from Russia at such a sensitive time — and interact only with great caution. But Trump and some others within his administration have been pressing for a full bilateral meeting. There are potential benefits to a meeting with Putin. A face-to-face meeting can humanize the two sides and often removes some of the intrigue involved in impersonal, telephone communication. Trump has to directly “say to Putin, ‘We’re not happy about you interfering in our election,”‘ said Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Source: National Post June 26, 2017 20:17 UTC