Trump invites Putin to US: Russian FM

US President Donald Trump invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to the US during a phone call, and said he would be glad to see Putin in the White House, RIA Novosti reported on Friday, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The news agency quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying Trump returned to the subject of an invitation a couple of times during a call last month and that Russia was now expecting Trump to formalize the invitation.

"We proceed from the fact that the US president in a telephone conversation... made such an invitation, said he would be glad to see [Putin] in the White House, would then be glad to meet on a reciprocal visit," said Lavrov, according to a transcript of an interview with RIA.

"He returned to this topic a couple of times, so we let our American colleagues know that we do not want to impose, but we also do not want to be impolite, and that considering that President Trump made this proposal, we proceed from the position that he will make it concrete."

Rolling out a welcome for Putin in the White House could anger Trump's domestic critics, who accuse Russia of hostile acts against Western countries, including the US.