THE RUSSIA CONNECTION Trump's Big Face-to-Face With Putin 6JUL17

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July 6, 2017 What to Watch for When Trump Gets Face-to-Face With Putin Here are four key dynamics that will mark Trump's first encounter as president with the Russian leader. (Mother Jones) The Russian Ambassador's Sob Story Sergey Kislyak claims to be leaving the US flummoxed by working with the Trump administration.  (Mother Jones) Support hard-hitting journalism The Russian Connection and all our reporting is made possible by readers like you. Support our investigations with a tax-deductible donation. TOP NEWS Attacking the investigators? Critics are dissecting every hire on special counsel Robert Mueller's team. (Washington Post) Tension over sanctions. The Kremlin warned that its patience is "running out" on actions taken by the Obama administration. (Newsweek) US allies' anxiety. Western spies fear Putin will play Trump like a fiddle and gain major concessions. (The Daily Beast) WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING A former ambassador's advice: "Your goal is not a friendly chat—diplomacy is not a popularity contest—but a clear statement of US national security and economic objectives and an exploration of what issues the United States and Russia could pursue together." — Michael McFaul On Trump's approach to Putin: "He's got to bring up the issues that are a problem, ranging from their interference in our campaigns to what they're doing in other parts of the world." — Sen. John McCain Keeping track Follow every turn in the long, twisted, and bizarre history of the Trump-Russia scandal in the always updated Mother Jones timeline. Take a deep dive The Russian Connection is compiled by Bill Buzenberg and Denise Clifton, who ran the election season blog PutinTrump.org. Visit their archive here.