Russian officials to meet with Trump national security adviser John Bolton next week, says Kremlin

Meeting in Geneva comes after US president refused to blame Putin for meddling in 2016 US election

Washington said on Tuesday Bolton would meet Russian officials as a follow-up to the Helsinki summit (Getty Images)

The Kremlin said on Wednesday preparations were underway for a meeting in Geneva next week between Russian officials and White House national security adviser John Bolton, the first top level meeting since the Russian and US presidents met in Helsinki.

“Such contacts are indeed planned and being prepared,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Wednesday. Mr Peskov did not elaborate further.

US president Donald Trump faced criticism at home after he met Vladimir Putin in the Finnish capital in July, and refused to blame the Russian leader for meddling in the 2016 US election.

A new round of US sanctions targeting Russia was announced in the wake of that criticism, prompting the Russian rouble to fall sharply.

Last week, Rand Paul, a Republican senator and Mr Trump ally, travelled to the Russian capital, saying his trip aimed to encourage diplomacy amid the tense relations between Moscow and Washington.

Washington had said on Tuesday Mr Bolton would meet Russian officials as a follow-up to the Helsinki summit.

Reuters