Russian media, political establishment hail Putin for Trump summit

Russian officials and media on Tuesday praised the results of President Trump’s meeting Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Reuters reported that lawmakers and news outlets in Russia described the meeting between the two leaders in Helsinki as a positive step for Russia toward improving relations with the U.S. and asserting itself on the world stage. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared the meeting went “magnificent. Better than super.”

A state-run newspaper blared a headline that read “The West’s attempts to isolate Russia failed,” according to Reuters.

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Much of the state-run media focused on the symbolism of Putin being seen with Trump after four years of international isolationism after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. 

Alexey Pushkov, a Russian senator, wrote on Twitter that Monday’s meeting marked a change from rhetoric during the Obama administration “about Russia being a weak ‘regional power.’ ”

“The attention of the whole world is focused today on Helsinki and it’s crystal clear to everyone: the fate of the world is being decided between Russia and the United States, the leaders of the two major powers of our planet are meeting,” Pushkov tweeted, according to Reuters.

Praise for Putin and Russia’s standing stood in stark contrast to the reaction in the U.S. to Trump’s performance.

Democrats, Republicans, media personalities and even some of the president’s staunchest supporters all laid into Trump for his refusal to hold Putin accountable for his actions, specifically for interfering in U.S. elections.

Trump declared before his meeting with Putin that U.S. “foolishness” and special counsel Robert Mueller‘s probe were to blame for souring relations between the two countries.

During the press conference, he said his intelligence officials have told him Russia interfered, but noted that Putin offered a “very strong” denial.

He concluded that he has confidence in “both parties,” but added that he didn’t “see any reason why it would be” Russia.

The president went on to deny that he colluded with Russia in the election, recounted his victory over Hillary Clinton and called Mueller’s investigation “ridiculous.”