Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday expressed concerns about President Trump meeting one-on-one with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he is “afraid” of what deal Trump might agree to in the sit-down.
Schumer, speaking to reporters, argued that when Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un they “took him to the cleaners.” A meeting with Putin, Schumer warned, could result in even bigger concessions.
“It’s even worse for him to meet with a very, very clever, out-for-himself man like President Putin alone. And I am very much afraid what he would give away without any advisers to keep him in check,” Schumer told reporters.
{mosads}
Trump is scheduled to meet Putin early next week in Helsinki after a trip this week to Brussels for the NATO summit and a visit to the United Kingdom.
The meeting with Putin has sparked concerns from U.S. allies, as well as lawmakers on Capitol Hill, that Trump could strike a deal that would include too many concessions to Moscow while antagonizing Europe.
The Senate held a nonbinding vote on Tuesday evening to instruct lawmakers hashing out a national defense policy bill to use the conference committee to “reaffirm” the U.S. commitment to NATO.
Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the international organization, saying the United States contributes an “unfair” amount to NATO. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters on Tuesday that he was not concerned Trump would try to withdraw from NATO.
Schumer, in a separate floor speech, added that Trump should use the summit in Brussels to “reinforce and build up the trans-Atlantic alliance rather than tearing it down.”