After Helsinki fiasco, Trump invites Putin to US

Washington, July 20: After the controversy over the summit in Helsinki, US President Donald Trump has invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to visit America this autumn, the former's state secretary said on Thursday, July 19.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Twitter that Trump had asked National Security Adviser John Bolton to invite Putin, adding that talks were already underway.

The invitation was formally announced hours after Trump tweeted that he looked forward to his second meeting with Trump while defending his controversial performance in Helsinki on Monday, July 16. The two leaders spoke on a range of issues on that occasion, including Israel, North Korea and terrorism but it was Trump's trusting Putin over his own intelligence on the issue of Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election in the US which detonated the bomb back home.

Facing a backlash, Trump changed his own words from a press conference which he addressed in the US on his return.

There was, however, no response from the Kremlin about the White House invitation, reports said.