US to invite Putin to visit Washington in fall

U.S. White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said Thursday that President Donald Trump has asked National Security Advisor John Bolton to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to Washington in autumn this year.

In a twitter post, Sanders said that in Helsinki, Trump had "agreed to ongoing working level dialogue between the two security council staffs."

"President Trump asked @Ambjohnbolton to invite President Putin to Washington in the fall and those discussions are already underway," she added.

Trump has been widely attacked after his meeting with Putin on July 16 in Finland, due to his reconciliatory remarks that many saw as a sign to side with Moscow against U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia meddled in 2016 U.S. elections.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said here on Thursday that he wished to have a second meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The remarks came amid the rain of domestic criticism over his performance in his first meeting with Putin in Helsinki, and Russia's request to question American citizens including former U.S. ambassador Michael McFaul.

In a group of tweets, Trump said that his meeting with Putin was "a great success," and he looks forward to their second meeting so as to "start implementing some of the many things discussed," including stopping terrorism, security for Israel, nuclear proliferation, cyber attacks, trade, Ukraine, Middle East peace and more.

He lashed out at U.S. media for having reported his reconciliatory remarks in the July 16 meeting with Putin as a sign to side with Russia against U.S. intelligence community.

"The Fake News Media wants so badly to see a major confrontation with Russia, even a confrontation that could lead to war," Trump tweeted. "They are pushing so recklessly hard and hate the fact that I'll probably have a good relationship with Putin."

Amid the unrelenting criticism of Trump's performance inside the United States, several lawmakers wanted the interpreter of Trump in his one-on-one meeting with Putin to testify before Congress for what exactly the two leaders had said in Helsinki.

Yet White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said Wednesday that that was "something that would go through the State Department."