President Trump: I Fired Comey Because He Wasn’t Doing a Good Job

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shake hands in the Treaty Room before heading into meetings at the State Department May 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Flynn is now one of the key figures in the investigation.

The official also pushed back on critics who have questioned whether Trump should have met in the Oval Office with Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak, whose interactions with Trump campaign officials have come under scrutiny by federal and congressional investigators.

The meeting had been scheduled before the firing and took place at the request of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Politico. He says through a translator that “there is not a single fact” or piece of compelling evidence proving Russia’s intervention in the election.

Peskov calls it “an entirely domestic matter” for the United States.

Lavrov appeared to mock reporters who asked him about Comey’s firing.

After being asked about the issue for a fourth time, Lavrov looked somewhat annoyed as he replied that he had “already answered”.

“Was he fired? You’re kidding”.

Trump said he and Kissinger had met to talk “about Russian Federation and various other matters”, according to the pool report.

After the meeting, Lavrov spoke to the press, saying he and the president had spoken of issues concerning the Middle East and Ukraine, and had agreed to continue speaking and working together. He stressed Russia’s responsibility to fully implement the Minsk agreement.

Lavrov said that the US and Russian Federation can and should contribute to a settlement in Syria.

About Comey’s sacking, Trump said the Federal Bureau of Investigation chief “was not doing a good job”.

While the administration downplayed the threat, a senior administration official acknowledged that the White House had been misled about the role of the Russian photographer, who was actually employed by a state-run news agency.

When asked about the situation in Afghanistan, Lavrov denied accusations that Russian Federation is providing Taliban militants with weapons.

With Trump’s dismissal of Comey supercharging the Russiagate scandal, they may get even worse. Nevertheless, Lavrov struck a conciliatory tone and said Russian Federation isn’t intending to retaliate.

Since Lavrov’s meeting with Trump is closed to the press, few details may emerge of what they discuss.

Despite the lack of clarity, the meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Lavrov is in itself a sign of some progress.

A Russian plan to stabilize Syria after more than six years of civil war is the most urgent foreign policy topic on the agenda. Before that, he was Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations in NY from 1994 to 2004.

Peppered with questions on Comey’s firing during his brief media interaction at the State Department, Lavrov joked around.

After talks Wednesday the two diplomats will again meet Thursday in Fairbanks, Alaska for the Arctic Council meeting, an intergovernmental forum for cooperation on the environment, oil and mining, shipping, fisheries and tourism.

USA officials are harming their own people by saying that Russian Federation might have influenced the elections and is standing behind U.S. internal affairs, Lavrov also said. Tillerson thanked Lavrov for traveling to Washington and expressed gratitude to Lavrov for playing host in Moscow in April.

Before taking office, Trump touted his intention to improve ties with Moscow.

“There are a great many outstanding questions about the circumstances of Director Comey’s dismissal, the status of the executive branch investigation into the Trump campaign ties to Russian Federation, and what the future holds for these investigations”, Schumer said.