US President Donald J. Trump has plans to invite Russian Federation President Vladimir V. Putin to visit Washington later this year, the White House told the press on Thursday.
In an announcement made via social media platform, Twitter, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that the POTUS has formally asked national security adviser John Bolton to extend the said invitation to the Russian premier.
"...discussions are already underway," a statement from Sanders was quoted over at CNN, suggesting the fall visit is now on the agency's priority list.
These recent developments in the White House have yet again sent a wave of shock, especially among intelligence officials including Dan Coats.
Coats is currently serving as the Director of National Intelligence under Trump.
The official was reportedly clueless on what is happening inside the Oval Office, which is kind of ironic given the very crucial role he plays in the administration.
"Say that again?" the Intel chief replied in an interview with NBC when asked about the upcoming Putin visit.
"OK. That's gonna be special," Coats commented.
It is yet to be known why Coats was left out on the information regarding the invitation which came days since Trump and Putin's bilateral meeting at Helsinki.
During the summit held at the Finnish capital, the US head of state reportedly cleared Russia's involvement in manipulating the 2016 Presidential Election.
This earned Trump criticisms coming from the Democrats, who called his Helsinki press performance a "traitorous" act. Even his people in the Republican Party chastised what is supposed to be his biggest mistake ever.
On Tuesday, this week, Trump convened the press in an attempt to clarify his comments regarding Kremlin's connection to the electoral ruckus, all the while reaffirming his "faith and support" in the US intelligence agencies.
Coats had once clarified to the public that his committee was clear in their "assessments of Russian meddling" during the 2016 presidential race.
Through all this, Trump nonetheless maintained that the Helsinki joint summit is a "great success" for his administration as he aims to further improve Washington's burgeoning relationship with Moscow.
"The Summit with Russia was a great success, except with the real enemy of the people, the Fake News Media," Trump said in one of his Twitter posts.
He went on to express his enthusiasm for his upcoming meeting with Putin in which he sees it as an opportunity to "start implementing some of the many things discussed" during their one-on-one in Helsinki.
