White House invites Putin to Washington 'in early 2019'

The White House has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin for a visit sometime in early 2019, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Friday.

Speaking during a press conference in the Republic of Georgia, Bolton said he offered a formal invitation to the Russian leader during his visit to Moscow this week. If accepted, Putin’s visit to the US would be expected to take place early next year, he said.

Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump are also expected to have a brief meeting in Paris on November 11. They previously held a comprehensive bilateral summit in Helsinki. But the proposed follow-up meeting was postponed, apparently due to domestic criticism of Trump, who was accused of cozying up to the Russian president.

Putin last had a meeting with a US president on American soil in 2015, when he talked with Barack Obama on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly meeting.

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