Mattis denies ‘policy changes’ were made during Trump’s meeting with Putin

Defense Secretary James Mattis said Friday that “no policy changes” were made at President Trump’s summit last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mattis told reporters that he spoke to White House chief of staff John Kelly and national security adviser John Bolton “immediately after” Trump’s closed-door meeting with Putin in Helsinki, Finland, according to CNBC.

{mosads}Lawmakers have urged the White House to reveal what was discussed during the more than two-hour meeting between Trump and Putin.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said last week that he did not know what was discussed between the two leaders.

One day after the summit, the Russian Defense Ministry said it was “ready” to enact the “international security” measures discussed in the meeting.

Mattis told reporters Friday that he is considering meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu.

Mattis also said “there are actions underway” by the U.S. “to protect our elections or to expose any external any, by anybody, external efforts to influence the American public,” according to CNBC.

Trump drew fire for his handling of Russia after he appeared to side with Putin’s denials of election interference at a press conference following the summit.

The president walked back his comments one day later, saying he misspoke at the conference and believes that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

Putin said Friday that he has invited Trump to Moscow for a meeting and that he is open to a meeting with the president in Washington.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later said that Trump is also open to a meeting with Putin in Moscow.

The White House had initially invited Putin for a second meeting in Washington in the fall, but said Wednesday that it would hold off on a summit until next year, citing special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.