Following the indictment of twelve Russian intelligence officers on Friday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has called on President Donald Trump to cancel his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"These indictments are further proof of what everyone but the president seems to understand: President Putin is an adversary who interfered in our elections to help President Trump win," Schumer said in a statement.
"President Trump should cancel his meeting with Vladimir Putin until Russia takes demonstrable and transparent steps to prove that they won't interfere in future elections," he added. "Glad-handing with Vladimir Putin on the heels of these indictments would be an insult to our democracy."
The statement from Schumer came following news special counsel Robert Mueller obtained an indictment against twelve Russian intelligence officers for crimes intended to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also responded to the news, stopping short of calling on Trump to cancel his meeting with Putin but claiming the stakes of the summit could not be higher.
"President Trump must demand and secure a real, concrete and comprehensive agreement that the Russians will cease their ongoing attacks on our democracy," Pelosi said. "Failure to stand up to Putin would constitute a profound betrayal of the Constitution and our democracy."
Trump said in remarks during a press conference earlier in the day that he would talk to Putin about alleged Russian meddling in the election during their meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on Monday.
"I will absolutely bring that up. I don't think you'll have any 'Gee, I did it. I did it. You got me.' There won't be a Perry Mason here, I don't think," Trump said. "But you never know what happens, right? But I will absolutely firmly ask the question."
Trump has previously claimed no other president has been tougher on Russia but said he hopes to develop a good relationship with Putin.
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