WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement on reports that President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the NATO summit in July.

“It is entirely possible for a U.S.–Russia summit to be constructive, but I’m very concerned that after his recent performance at the G-7 in Canada, President Trump will once again clash with our closest allies at the upcoming NATO summit, only to then engage in fawning photo ops with President Putin afterwards. 

“President Trump’s failure to hold Putin accountable for interfering in our 2016 election, aggressively supporting the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, and illegally annexing a key part of Ukraine, the Crimean Peninsula, makes us less safe, not more.

“I’m very concerned President Trump can’t help but try to please another autocrat at the expense of our democracy. It is my hope that President Trump will take a different approach and stand up for America’s interests and values.” 

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