President Donald Trump has rejected a proposal by Vladimir Putin to allow Russian officials to interrogate a former US ambassador and other American citizens, the White House said Thursday. "It is a proposal that was made in sincerity by President Putin, but President Trump disagrees with it," said Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.
Putin had offered a quid-pro-quo of permitting US justice officials to go to Russia to question 12 intelligence officers indicted for hacking Democratic Party computers, in exchange for Russia being allowed to question former US envoy to Russia Michael McFaul and others.
"Hopefully President Putin will have the 12 identified Russians come to the United States to prove their innocence or guilt," said Sanders. McFaul expressed outrage on Wednesday when Sanders said Trump was "going to meet with his team" to consider Putin's proposal - which the US leader had initially described as an "incredible offer."