An unabashed Donald Trump called for warmer US relations with Russia on Wednesday as his firing of FBI director James Comey sparked calls from Democrats for an independent probe of his election campaign’s alleged ties to Moscow.
The firing of Mr Comey shook Washington, igniting the biggest crisis of Mr Trump’s presidency as opponents alleged that the president was seeking to frustrate the FBI probe. It heralded a new period of turmoil in which Russia-related controversies risk monopolising the capital’s attention at the expense of policy priorities such as tax and healthcare reform.
On Wednesday Mr Trump was shown warmly greeting foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergei Kislyak in photographs distributed by Russia’s foreign ministry.