These developments all occurred on the same day that President Trump hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at the White House to talk about Syria and other issues. Politico reports Trump invited Lavrov after a request from Russian President Vladmir Putin. A White House spokesperson said, “He chose to receive him because Putin asked him to. Putin did specifically ask on the call when they last talked.” The White House faced some criticism for allowing the Russian state media agency TASS inside the White House to take photographs while barring all U.S. media. Trump also spent part of the day on Wednesday meeting with Henry Kissinger, who served as President Richard Nixon’s secretary of state.