Bolton meets with Russian ambassador at White House

[Swordsmyth]

President Trump (http://thehill.com/people/donald-trump)'s national security adviser John Bolton met with Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov at the White House on Thursday.
The two men met Thursday afternoon and discussed how to improve ties between the U.S. and Russia, according to the release from the White House. The meeting was Bolton's first with a top Russian official since being named as former national security adviser H.R. McMaster's replacement.


According to the release, Bolton expressed his desire for a closer relationship with Russia's government but warned that any mending of ties would have to be preceded by alleviating "our concerns regarding Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, the reckless use of a chemical weapon in the United Kingdom, and the situations in Ukraine and Syria."
The meeting between Bolton and Antonov comes amid Trump's refusal to levy additional sanctions on Moscow over Russia's alleged involvement in the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy on British soil.

More at: http://thehill.com/policy/international/384058-bolton-meets-with-russian-ambassador-at-white-house-to-discuss-ties-with

[Swordsmyth]

In an attempt to ease the worst East-West tensions since the Cold War, on Thursday the head of Russia’s military general staff and NATO’s supreme allied commander held a rare face-to-face meeting.

U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti and Russia's Chief of Staff, Valery Gerasimov met in Baku, Azerbaijan, less than a week after the United States, Britain and France staged missile strikes on Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack by the forces of Russia president-ally Bashar al-Assad. In separate statements, NATO and the Russian defense ministry said the meeting discussed military exercises and troop movements, as both sides accuse the other of risky deployments in the Baltic states and eastern Europe.


Scaparrotti and Gerasimov discussed “questions concerning NATO and Russian military activity in the European region”, the Russian defense ministry said. Meanwhile, NATO said the meeting "focused on issues related to military posture and exercises" - which Reuters translated as defense parlance for how to avoid military accidents that might lead to war. “The two military leaders used the ... channel to foster predictability and transparency” NATO added.

The Russian side said the pair also talked about the seven-year-long civil war in Syria, where Moscow and the West back opposing sides, and combating Islamic militants.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-04-19/top-nato-russia-generals-hold-rare-face-face-meeting

[goldenequity]

In an attempt to ease the worst East-West tensions since the Cold War, on Thursday the head of Russia’s military general staff and NATO’s supreme allied commander held a rare face-to-face meeting.

U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti and Russia's Chief of Staff, Valery Gerasimov met in Baku, Azerbaijan, less than a week after the United States, Britain and France staged missile strikes on Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack by the forces of Russia president-ally Bashar al-Assad. In separate statements, NATO and the Russian defense ministry said the meeting discussed military exercises and troop movements, as both sides accuse the other of risky deployments in the Baltic states and eastern Europe.


Scaparrotti and Gerasimov discussed “questions concerning NATO and Russian military activity in the European region”, the Russian defense ministry said. Meanwhile, NATO said the meeting "focused on issues related to military posture and exercises" - which Reuters translated as defense parlance for how to avoid military accidents that might lead to war. “The two military leaders used the ... channel to foster predictability and transparency” NATO added.

The Russian side said the pair also talked about the seven-year-long civil war in Syria, where Moscow and the West back opposing sides, and combating Islamic militants.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-04-19/top-nato-russia-generals-hold-rare-face-face-meeting

three words: hyper sonic missiles

[Swordsmyth]

During a phone conversation, U.S. President Donald Trump invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the United States, The Moscow Times reported April 20, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.

More at: https://worldview.stratfor.com/situation-report/us-president-invites-russian-president-visit

[vita3]

Formal meeting between Trump & Putin long overdue. Mass media will blow a gasket

[milgram]

Bolton and Pompeo are leading the diplomatic charge lately. I'm pretty skeptical but we'll see what happens.