Trump adviser Bolton to meet Russians next week in Geneva

[August 15, 2018]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House national security adviser John Bolton will meet Russian officials in Geneva next week as a follow-up to the summit meeting that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had in Helsinki last month, the White House said.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton attends a news conference in Moscow, Russia June 27, 2018. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo

Bolton, as part of his trip, will also visit Israel and Ukraine for meetings with officials in those countries, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters.

Trump has defended himself against criticism that he was too cozy with Putin in their talks in the capital of Finland and a subsequent joint news conference. The Trump administration in the aftermath of the summit imposed more sanctions on Moscow.

Trump has invited Putin to visit the United States in 2019.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

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