How did Russian media "infiltrate" the closed Trump - Lavrov meeting?

Photos of the closed-door meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Lavrov, widely published by Russian media, have caused controversy within the United States.

Lavrov - the man who always puts US officials in difficult positions

The US government was "humiliated" after Russian media suddenly published photos of a closed-door meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. According toNew York Times, this is not the first time Mr. Lavrov has put top US officials in a difficult position.

US President Donald Trump receives Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Oval Office. (Photo: TASS)

Remember, in 2006, the Russian Foreign Minister also made the then US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, in an embarrassing situation when technicians forgot to turn off the microphone while the two were having lunch in Moscow.

During the event, reporters could clearly hear the two men arguing about US policy in Iraq. “What does that mean?” Ms. Rice asked, and Mr. Lavrov replied: “I think you understand.”

Three years later, Hillary Clinton celebrated her first meeting as secretary of state with Russia’s foreign minister by giving Lavrov a gift: a bright red button stamped with a sticker that Clinton explained meant “reset” in Russian. “You’re wrong,” Lavrov replied, pointing out the translation error as photographers snapped away. “It means overload,” Lavrov said.

On May 10, Mr. Lavrov continued to embarrass US Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson after a reporter asked whether President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey would overshadow the talks between diplomatic officials of the two countries.

Mr. Tillerson turned away and did not answer, but Mr. Lavrov looked surprised and exclaimed: “He was fired? Are you kidding? Are you kidding?”

Closed meeting… but “open” to Russian media?

Afterwards, at the White House, Mr. Lavrov had a closed-door meeting with US President Donald Trump, with no reporters allowed into the Oval Office except for official photographers from each country's government.

The White House was informed that Russia may send a photographer to cover the event, whose photographs would be used for archival purposes and would not necessarily be released. The White House also has a photographer who will undertake similar duties.

It is worth noting that later, the Russian news agency TASS widely published images of Mr. Trump and Mr. Lavrov smiling with the Russian Ambassador to the US, Sergey I. Kislyak. TASS is owned by the Russian government, so a photojournalist from this agency can be considered an official photographer representing the Russian side. However, what angered some US officials was the way TASS used these photos because they were widely published.

"They played us," CNN quoted a US official as saying.

The sensitivity of the case also lies in the fact that the meeting was attended by Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey I. Kislyak. Previously, Mr. Kislyak had been "watched" by federal investigators and the US Congress because of his contact with officials in the Trump campaign. This was also one of the reasons why National Security Advisor Michael T. Flynn had to resign.

The appearance of Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey I. Kislyak (far right) at the meeting further intensified the controversy. (Photo: TASS)

Security hole

Some experts even called the incident a security breach as the White House faced threats not from the American media but from its “competitors,” the Russian media.

According to these experts, not being able to control reporters attending similar events can create unpredictable dangers when bad guys can completely hide "bugs and eavesdroppers" in their working equipment and bring them into the Oval Office.

California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris toldCNN“I was really shocked when I heard that happened. The lack of transparency when the press got into that meeting can be troubling.”

However, the White House still defended the initial agreement with the Russian Foreign Ministry. White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the press procedures were carried out in accordance with regulations.

Sanders did not explain whether the Russians had misled the United States. But other officials said the incident was not good for U.S.-Russia relations. Two former Obama administration officials wrote on Twitter that the incident highlighted serious security risks.

“Is it a good idea to have a Russian government photographer and all their equipment easily accessible to the Oval Office?” said Colin H. Kahl, national security adviser to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

“No, absolutely not,” replied David S. Cohen, former deputy director of the CIA.

The incident was even debated at a May 11 hearing in the US Senate on threats to national security. Senator Angus King asked National Security Agency Director Michael S. Rogers whether his agency was consulted “about the risk of certain types of cyber or communications” in similar cases.

Mr. Rogers replied “No!” and added: “Honestly, I don't know where those pictures came from”./.

According to VOV