WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) issued the following statement on U.S.-Russia relations after the meeting between President Trump and Vladimir Putin:  

“There cannot be any equivocation: Vladimir Putin is to blame for Russia’s poor relations with the United States and the rest of the free world. It is Putin’s regime that illegally invaded Crimea, props up Assad’s murderous regime in Syria, assassinates dissidents on foreign soil, and meddles in the elections of the United States and its European allies.

“I’ve long maintained that America needs to take a strong position when it comes to Russia. While we should work with Russia on the specific instances where our nations share mutual objectives, we must confront Russia when they threaten the interests and well-being of America and its allies.

“Dialogue is not a bad thing, however, any meaningful improvement in our relationship with Russia must be solely dependent on whether Putin’s government starts to behave as a good faith actor on the world stage. Unfortunately, recent history casts serious doubt on if that is even a possibility.”