U.S. President Donald Trump invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to the White House, a Kremlin aide said Monday, according to Russian media reports and the Associated Press.
The invitation was extended during a call from the U.S. president congratulating Putin on his reelection to the Russian presidency on March 20, according to Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Putin.
The U.S. and Russia only said at the time that the two leaders had agreed on a possible summit.
The call was criticized since many observers, including politicians from Trump’s own party, considered the election a sham. Russia is also widely accused of trying to meddle in the U.S. election that brought Trump to power.
Tensions between the two countries have increased since the two leaders spoke, with Western capitals and Moscow expelling diplomats over the poisoning of a former spy in the U.K. The U.S. expelled 60 Russian officials, prompting Russia to expel a similar number.
As a result, Ushakov said the countries had not started preparing for the meeting and had not set a date.