White House officials are pressing for a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin to be in the room during
a meeting between Putin and President Donald Trump on Friday.
Fiona Hill, who works as the National Security Council's senior director for Europe and Russia, wrote a 2013 biography on Putin that portrayed the former KGB officer as corrupt.
Two White House aides told The Daily Beast they would like Hill to be in the room during the two leaders' highly anticipated meeting. The Trump administration is trying to avoid a repeat of a May Oval Office meeting between Trump and two Russian officials, during which Trump revealed classified information.
Amid claims Trump's campaign colluded with Russia, the White House also wants to project a stance that is not necessarily pro-Russian.
Hill traveled to Hamburg, Germany ahead of Trump's arrival for the G-20 summit. White House officials are still waiting to hear if she will sit it on the meeting, as there might be space limitations in the room. It is also unclear if Putin's team would agree to have her present.
Trump is expected to meet privately with several other leaders at the Hamburg summit, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May.
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