Trump Hosts Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov And Ambassador Kislyak At White House 
 
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Alexander Shcherbak/TASS/Getty Images Alexander Shcherbak/TASS/Getty Images 
 
 President Trump hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the White House on Wednesday, one day after firing the man whose agency is investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election that brought Trump to power. 
 
 Trump fired now-former FBI Director James Comey, who told Congress earlier this year that his agency has been investigating Russia's actions — and possible ties to anyone associated with the Trump campaign — since July. As NPR's Domenico Montanaro reports, the firing of Comey with more than six years left on his term in office has prompted a flurry of questions about the president's motives — and about what's next. 
 
 Lavrov's meeting with the president was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET, and it was declared closed to the press. Russian agencies tweeted photos from the Oval Office showing that in addition to Lavrov, Trump shook hands with Russia's ambassador to America, Sergey Kislyak — a key figure in the investigation into Trump's ousted national security adviser, Michael Flynn. 
 
 After the Lavrov session had concluded, members of the U.S. media were allowed into the Oval Office, where they found the president sitting with Henry Kissinger, who served as President Richard Nixon's secretary of state. The meeting hadn't been listed on the president's official schedule. 
 
 Trump said he and Kissinger had met to talk "about Russia and various other matters," according to the pool report. 
 
 To a question about Comey, Trump reportedly replied, "He wasn't doing a good job. Very simply. He was not doing a good job." 
 
 The president also said the issue had not affected his meeting with Lavrov. 
 
 Lavrov arrived in Washington on Tuesday. He met with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the White House early Wednesday, ahead of his visit to the Oval Office. 
 
 Tillerson and Lavrov made a brief appearance Wednesday morning for a photo-op, and as Tillerson began to lead his guest back behind closed doors, Lavrov responded to a question about Comey's firing. 
 
 When a reporter asked whether the dismissal has "cast a shadow" over their talks, Lavrov stopped and seemed to look genuinely quizzical when he responded, "Was he fired?" — but then adopted a deadpan tone as he told the reporter, "You are kidding, you are kidding." 
 
 With a theatrical twitch of his head, the Russian diplomat then followed his American counterpart away from the media. The exchange was not included in the State Department's brief video snippet from the photo-op that it posted to Twitter. 
 
 Tillerson's office said his talks with Lavrov would focus on "Ukraine, Syria, and bilateral issues." But the Russians' visit to the White House also came as the Kremlin made its first public comments on Comey's removal. 
 
 When Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked how the firing might affect U.S.-Russia relations, Peskov replied, "We hope that it will not affect them at all. That's the United States' internal affair. That's the U.S. president's independent decision, which has nothing to do and should have nothing to do with Russia." 
 
 Comey's dismissal has sparked new calls for an independent probe into Russia's attempts to influence last year's U.S. presidential election — despite the Trump administration's assertion that Comey was removed over his handling of the investigation into Clinton's private email server. 
 
 "This is nothing less than Nixonian," said Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., a longtime member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. 
 
 Announcing Comey's abrupt firing Tuesday afternoon, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the president "acted based on the clear recommendations of both Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions." ||||| CLOSE When reporters asked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the firing of FBI Director James Comey, Lavrov asked them a question back. USA TODAY 
 
 President Trump is pictured walking on the South Lawn of the White House. (Photo: Ron Sachs, Getty Images) 
 
 President Trump met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the White House on Wednesday, just one day after firing James Comey, the FBI director overseeing an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. 
 
 Trump and Lavrov discussed paths to resolving the Syrian civil war, the Russian incursion into Ukraine, and the Middle East conflict, according to a statement from the White House. They also discussed ways to improve relations between the two countries, the statement added. "The President further emphasized his desire to build a better relationship between the United States and Russia." 
 
 In brief comments to reporters, Trump said the Comey case had no effect "at all" on his meeting Lavrov, and he defended the firing of the FBI director because "he wasn't doing a good job." 
 
 The FBI, along with several congressional committees, are focusing on whether there was any collusion between Trump campaign associates to Russia during the last year's election. 
 
 The U.S. intelligence community has accused Moscow of carrying out a campaign of cyberattacks against Democratic political institutions to influence the American election, and leaking stolen material to be published on websites such as WikiLeaks. Trump has denied any connections and described the Russia story as a "hoax." 
 
 The timing for the meeting drew special attention since Lavrov, who last visited Washington in 2013, is the highest-level Russian official to meet with Trump since he took office in January. 
 
 The White House meeting also featured a key figure in the investigation: Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States. Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired after misleading his colleagues about his conversations with Kislyak before the inauguration. 
 
 Meanwhile, in Russia, President Vladimir Putin told CBS News that the Comey firing would have "no effect" on U.S.-Russian relations. "We have nothing to do with that," Putin said. 
 
 WATCH: Russia President Vladimir Putin responds to Comey firing: "We have nothing to do with that." https://t.co/fvTW6W3DnFpic.twitter.com/riP7EFr3xR — CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) May 10, 2017 
 
 Lavrov also met earlier Wednesday with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department. 
 
 As he welcomed Lavrov in the Treaty Room, Tillerson said he looks forward to continuing a dialogue the two began in Moscow “on a very broad range of topics.” 
 
 Before reporters assembled there, Lavrov appeared to make a joke about Comey's firing. 
 
 When a reporter asked if the sudden firing Tuesday “cast a shadow over your talks,” Lavrov responded with a deadpan joke. 
 
 “Was he fired?” He asked. When the reporter answered in the affirmative, Lavrov quipped: “You are kidding. You are kidding.” 
 
 He then waived his hand with a dismissive nod of his head, and walked away with a smiling Tillerson. 
 
 Tillerson met with Putin at the Kremlin last month amid tensions over a U.S. airstrike against a Syria air base blamed for a chemical attack by the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a Russian ally. The attack killed scores of civilians. 
 
 Trump said following that meeting that relations between the U.S. and Russia "may be at an all-time low.” 
 
 "The world's two foremost nuclear owners cannot have this kind of relationship," Tillerson said at the time. 
 
 CLOSE The White House reports Comey's dismissal comes after he was found in the middle of several political controversies like Russia's possible election interference and Hillary Clinton's handling of classified e-mails. USA TODAY 
 
 Wednesday's meetings could signal progress between the two nations since then. 
 
 On Wednesday, Tillerson and Lavrov will discuss Ukraine, Syria, and "bilateral issues," the State Department said. 
 
 "On Ukraine, the sides will discuss the need to stop the violence in eastern Ukraine and resolve the conflict through the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. On Syria, the Secretary intends to discuss efforts to de-escalate violence, provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, and set the stage for a political settlement of the conflict," the department said in a statement. 
 
 Contributing: Oren Dorell 
 
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 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2puIjcI ||||| As scrutiny intensifies around investigations into the Trump campaign’s possible ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign, President Donald Trump emphasized his hope for better relations between the U.S. and the Kremlin in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday. 
 
 Trump described the meeting to a group of reporters on Wednesday as "very, very good." 
 
 But the critical issue of Russian election interference was not discussed, according to Lavrov. 
 
 In a press conference after the Oval Office meeting, the Russian Foreign Minister said he and Trump "discussed specific issues and we didn’t raise those absurd issues” about election tampering. 
 
 Instead, Lavrov pointed to Trump’s own comments — frequently relayed via Twitter — that the Russia story is "fake news." 
 
 "There is not a single fact, there is no compelling evidence given to anyone regarding Russia’s intervention and that is it," Lavrov said. 
 
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 Russian government social media accounts tweeted out images of Trump with Lavrov, as well as with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak whose attendance, his government said, is considered protocol. U.S. press was not allowed into either meeting nor has the White House released any photos. 
 
 Kislyak’s role is critical in the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who met with the ambassador during the Trump transition and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the two men’s discussions on Russian sanctions levied by the Obama administration. 
 
 Those sanctions were not discussed Wednesday, Lavrov said in a press conference at the Russian embassy after the meeting. But Lavrov called the Obama administration's expulsion of Russian diplomats from the U.S. in retaliation late last year “pitiful” and a “dirty” trick.” 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump are slated to meet in July on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. 
 
 Lavrov's meeting with Trump and Tillerson in Washington comes less than 24 hours after news of the firing of FBI Director James Comey, which ushered in a wave of criticism from Democrats and some Republicans with renewed calls for an independent investigator into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including alleged collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign. The meeting also comes at a time when U.S.-Russian relations are seen by the administration as "at a low point." 
 
 U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as they meet for talks in the Oval Office at the White House on May 10, 2017. Russian Foreign Ministry 
 
 Lavrov arrived at the White House after the Tillerson meeting and ahead of a press conference at the Russian Embassy. The meeting with Trump, billed on the White House schedule as an Oval Office meeting, was closed to reporters. 
 
 During his meeting with Trump, Lavrov discussed efforts by Russia, Turkey and Iran to set up "de-escalation zones" in opposition-held areas of Syria, a plan enacted on Saturday. Still, stark differences remain on the best way forward in the six-year Syrian war which has left more than 500,000 dead and displaced millions. 
 
 Washington has long said Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad can't remain in power if the war-torn nation is to move forward. Russia supports Assad. 
 
 "We do not have a notion of an exit strategy," Lavrov said during the press conference at the Russian embassy on Wednesday. The "obsession with ousting particular leaders — look what it has led to. Why don't we try to learn from our mistakes, focus on process, defeating terrorism." 
 
 The two governments also still disagree on Assad's role in last month's chemical gas attack, which left dozens of civilians dead and spurred Trump to retaliate by launching 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase. 
 
 And as the Trump administration mulls sending as many as 5,000 more troops to Afghanistan to join the fight there, Lavrov stressed that his nation's government is not supporting the Taliban. 
 
 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) shakes hands with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after a press conference on April 12, 2017 in Moscow. File Alexander Nemenov / AFP - Getty Images 
 
 "Those who are working on Afghanistan have not found a single expert to say we're transferring arms," Lavrov said. 
 
 Lavrov and Trump also discussed the ongoing violence in Ukraine where, since 2014, the U.S. has found itself on opposite sides of the conflict with Washington backing the Western-leaning Ukrainian government and Moscow backing pro-Russia separatists. 
 
 Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, reacted to the meeting with a warning, urging Trump to be careful and aware of who Lavrov represents. 
 
 "The president's meeting with Lavrov today. It's okay to want to work with the Russians, but I hope, Mr. President, you know who you're dealing with," Graham told CNN. "You're dealing with a man who represents a government that is brutal, that tried to undermine our elections and, be careful, these are not teddy bears you're dealing with." ||||| Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shake hands in the Treaty Room Wednesday. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) 
 
 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appeared to get irritated with reporters at the State Department in Washington on Wednesday, sarcastically remarking on the firing of FBI Director James Comey. 
 
 "Was he fired? You're kidding?" Lavrov told reporters. "You're kidding." 
 
 Appearing with Lavrov, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was more measured, and made no specific comment on Comey. 
 
 He stressed that the purpose of Lavrov's trip to Washington was "to continue our dialogue and our exchange of views that began in Moscow… on a very broad range of topics." 
 
 Lavrov meets with President Donald Trump at the White House later Wednesday. ||||| CLOSE Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrives at the White House ahead of Oval Office talks with President Donald Trump, a rare honor bestowed on a non-head of government. Newslook 
 
 This handout photo released by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shows President Trump meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Oval Office of the White House on May 10, 2017. ORG XMIT: (Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry via AP) 
 
 At a time of strain between the White House and the media over coverage of the new administration, reporters raised questions Wednesday as to why a photographer from the Russian media, but not the U.S. press, was apparently allowed into an Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Russian officials. 
 
 The issue surfaced after photos of the meeting, including Trump shaking hands with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and controversial Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak, appeared in the Russian media. 
 
 The images were taken by a photographer from TASS, the Russian state-owned new agency. 
 
 The issue was further inflamed by the presence of Kislyak, who has been at the center of several controversies involving administration officials, including now fired National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Russian embassy even tweeted a photograph of Trump smiling broadly as he put his arm around the diplomat while shaking his hand in the Oval Office. 
 
 Flynn was fired in February for lying to Vice President Mike Pence by denying that he had discussed the issue of U.S. sanctions with Kislyak. Sessions recused himself from any investigations involving the Trump administration and Russia after acknowledging that he had failed to tell senators during his confirmation hearing that he had met previously with he diplomat. 
 
 In addition, Kislyak was brought into the Trump Tower in New York in December out of the sight of reporters for a meeting with Flynn and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and now senior advisor, according to The New York Times. 
 
 The photos were taken by TASS photographer Alexander Shcherbak and credited to him by the agency, which included a copyright symbol in photo captions in its own news reports of the meeting. The photos were also distributed by the Associated Press, which credits the Russian Foreign Ministry as the source, and Getty Images, which credits TASS. 
 
 After the photos began circulating, members of the White House press corps inquired whether the Russian media had been allowed into the closed meetings. 
 
 The White House responded, according to a White House pool report, by saying, "On background, our official photographer and their official photographer were present, that's it." 
 
 Talking Points Memosays TASS Washington bureau chief, Andrei Sitov, told TPM initially that no one from his Washington bureau was present at the meeting, but later revised his comments. 
 
 “Apparently the TASS person was admitted at the request of the Russian Foreign Ministry as the official photographer for the Russian side,” Sitov told TPM in a later email. “He is permanently assigned to cover FM Lavrov. His pictures from the meeting are available at the Russian FM’s Flickr. I was not even aware of this.” 
 
 Frequently the White House press pool is allowed in the room at the start of an official meetings to take photograph and, if possible, to ask the participants questions. 
 
 In addition to the photos, TASS provided comments by Lavrov on the Oval Office meeting with Trump, which had followed bilateral talks between him and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. 
 
 Lavrov told TASS that in the meeting with Trump, "(we) discussed, first and foremost, our cooperation on the international stage." 
 
 "At present, our dialogue is not as politicized as it used to be during Obama’s presidency," Lavrov said. "The Trump administration, including the president himself and the secretary of state, are people of action who are willing to negotiate." 
 
 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2q3WUQk ||||| Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reacts to a reporter's question after posing for photos with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the Treaty Room of the State Department on May 10. | Getty Russian foreign minister jokes about Comey: 'Was he fired? You’re kidding' 
 
 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sarcastically acted surprised Wednesday when asked a question about the firing of FBI Director James Comey during a visit to Washington. 
 
 “Was he fired? You’re kidding, you’re kidding,” he said during a brief press conference at the State Department before making a face, shaking his head and leaving the room. 
 
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 Lavrov was briefly addressing the media with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The Russian diplomat is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump Wednesday as well. 
 
 Comey, who was investigation the ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, was dramatically fired by Trump Tuesday night.
– US News says he "appeared to get irritated," while Politico and NBC note he was being sarcastic, but if Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov didn't know about President Trump firing FBI Director James Comey before Wednesday morning's presser at the State Department, he does now. Lavrov, who's in town to meet with Trump, appeared with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when MSNBC reporter Andrea Mitchell asked, "Does the Comey firing cast a shadow over the talks, gentlemen?" That sent Tillerson to the door while Lavrov lingered. "Was he fired?" he asked. "You're kidding—you're kidding!" Lavrov made a dismissive gesture with his head and exited the room with Tillerson. Per the State Department, Lavrov's sit-down with Trump on Wednesday was to focus on Syria, the conflict in Ukraine, and "bilateral issues," USA Today reports. NPR notes that even though the Lavrov-Trump meeting was closed to the US press, Russian agencies tweeted pictures of Trump with Lavrov and also with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, who was not mentioned on the original itinerary. When the American media was allowed into the Oval Office, they found Trump sitting with Richard Nixon's secretary of state, Henry Kissinger—also a surprise appearance. Meanwhile, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he didn't think the Comey firing would impact the US-Russia relationship, calling it an "independent decision" by Trump that "has nothing to do and should have nothing to do with Russia," per the TASS news agency.