ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “With a sudden flurry of plans for high-level contacts between Washington and Moscow, President Donald Trump appears to be telegraphing an upcoming meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin — a controversial push to engage the Kremlin at a time when relations between the US and key European allies are rapidly souring. Trump and Putin are planning to meet around the time of Trump’s trip to the UK and the NATO summit in mid-July, two diplomatic sources familiar with the matter told CNN last week. The two leaders have met before on the sidelines of global forums, but the recent push for a one-on-one summit is shining a new light on their complicated relationship — one that has been under increased scrutiny as special counsel Robert Mueller investigates any potential ties between Russia and Trump campaign associates. The potential summit highlights gaps between Trump’s consistently positive rhetoric about Russia and more critical comments from administration officials such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis.”
-Zachary Cohen, “Trump courts Putin as relations with Europe sour,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, June 25, 2018 4:32 pm