The White House rejected a Kremlin proposal to allow U.S. investigators to visit Russia on the matter of election interference in exchange for an opportunity to question a former U.S. ambassador.
“It is a proposal that was made in sincerity by President Putin, but President Trump disagrees with it. Hopefully President Putin will have the 12 identified Russians come to the United States to prove their innocence or guilt,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
The proposal was made during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday during a summit with President Donald Trump in Helsinki, Finland. Putin said he would allow special counsel Robert Mueller access to the country to investigate election meddling in exchange for the opportunity to question U.S. officials.
One of those U.S. officials was former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul. McFaul has drawn the personal ire of Putin for years, who the Russian president feels is responsible for meddling in his own election.