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US-RUSSIA-DIPLOMACY-INVESTIGATION
Trump rejects Putin’s proposal to let Russia interrogate US citizens
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – President Donald Trump rejected
Thursday a proposal by Vladimir Putin to allow Russian officials to
interrogate a former US ambassador and other American citizens, amid outrage
across Washington that he would even consider it.
While Trump originally called the idea an “incredible offer,” and continued
to weigh it through Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said
he has now decided against it.
“It is a proposal that was made in sincerity by President Putin, but
President Trump disagrees with it,” Sanders said.
Putin unveiled the proposal in a joint press conference with Trump on
Monday following their summit meeting in Helsinki, Finland.
Asked whether he would extradite 12 Russian intelligence agents indicted in
the United States last week for hacking Democratic Party computers, he said
he could meet the US government “halfway.”
“We can actually permit official representatives of the United States…
into the country and they will be present at this questioning” of the 12
inside Russia.
“Then we would expect that the Americans would reciprocate and they would
question officials, including the officers of law enforcement and
intelligence services of the United States … who have something to do with
illegal actions on the territory of Russia, and we have to request the
presence of our law enforcement.”
For Russia, the focus of the quid-pro-quo was questioning former US envoy
to Russia Michael McFaul and 11 others in Moscow’s case against billionaire
investor and human rights activist William Browder, the driving force behind
Magnitsky Act sanctions on Russian officials passed by the US Congress.
“I think that’s an incredible offer,” Trump responded in Helsinki.
– ‘Congress will not allow this’ –
McFaul expressed outrage on Wednesday when Sanders said Trump was “going to
meet with his team” to consider Putin’s proposal.
But on Thursday Sanders made clear a deal with Putin was not in the cards.
“Hopefully President Putin will have the 12 identified Russians come to the
United States to prove their innocence or guilt,” said Sanders.
“It’s not going to happen,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo echoed late
Thursday.
“There were suggestions, comments, thoughts by President Putin with respect
to that inquiry. President Trump was very clear we’re not going to force
Americans to go to Russia to be interrogated by the Russians,” he said.
The indictments issued last week by special counsel Robert Mueller allege
that the Russian hackers publicly released tens of thousands of stolen
Democratic emails and documents using “fictitious online personas.”
Mueller is investigating possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and
Russia.
Sanders made the statement just as the US Senate took up a resolution
objecting to any move by the Trump administration to make US officials
available for questioning by Russian government officials.
In a sharp rebuke to the White House, the resolution passed with unanimous
support from both parties, 98-0.
“Let this resolution be a warning to the administration that Congress will
not allow this to happen,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
BSS/AFP/MRI/0838 hrs