Washington, D.C. – House Armed Services Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement about National Security Advisor John Bolton’s announcement that President Trump is planning to host Vladimir Putin in Washington, DC, early next year:

“What happened in Helsinki cannot be repeated. I am very concerned that a visit to Washington, DC, could produce another embarrassing spectacle in which President Trump attempts to reorient our policies toward Russia in ways that undermine U.S. national security and our commitment to democratic values worldwide. Dialogue with Russia is needed, but President Trump has continued to demonstrate his disturbing affinity towards President Putin, including his continued denial of Russia’s meddling in our 2016 elections and his failure to devote sufficient resources to secure our elections moving forward. The United States should not condone the activities of authoritarian regimes that aim to erode freedom of the press, silence their dissidents, and pose a threat to democratic values.”

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