Russian diplomat seeks GOP senator’s help meeting Pence, Cabinet officials

A Russian diplomat has reportedly struggled in recent weeks to set up meetings with a plethora of U.S. lawmakers in the face of heightened tensions between the two countries.

Politico reported Thursday that Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov reached out earlier this month to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to ask for his assistance in developing contacts in the U.S. government.

{mosads}”I would be very grateful for your advice on how to develop contacts with members of U.S. Congress, departments and agencies, as well as for your possible assistance in setting up such meetings,” he wrote.

Hatch and a few other GOP senators, including Rand Paul (Ky.), Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Bob Corker (Tenn.), have met with Antonov. However, he has struggled to gain traction with numerous others amid a diplomatic standoff between Russia and the U.S. 

Politico reported that Vice President Pence, White House chief of staff John Kelly, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the leaders of both parties in the House and Senate have not responded to Antonov’s requests for a meeting.

U.S. lawmakers have taken a rigid stance against Russia in the wake of intelligence community findings that the Russians engineered an influence campaign during the 2016 presidential race. Intelligence officials have warned the country will likely do the same during the midterm elections later this year.

Meanwhile, the U.S. agreed with findings that Russia was most likely responsible for the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, with a military-grade nerve agent outside their home in Salisbury, England.

In response, President Trump moved to expel 60 Russian officials from the U.S., as part of a coordinated effort with other countries to punish Moscow for the poisoning.

Moscow has denied its involvement in the poisoning and vowed to remove a number of diplomats from the U.S. and other foreign countries.