The White House postpones Putin's proposed visit, citing Russia's "witch hunt": NPR

Updated at 15:50 ET

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not visit the United States this year after all, said Wednesday the White House, following an invitation issued by the President Trump at the end of their recent summit in Helsinki. The next bilateral meeting with President Putin is scheduled to take place after the end of the witch hunt in Russia, so we agree that it will be after the first of the year, "said the councilor. National Security John Bolton in a statement issued by the administration.Last week, the White House said that Trump had invited Putin to the United States, but the Kremlin had been silent on the offer. said they might be open to the Trump and Putin meeting on the sidelines of an international summit such as the G-20, but that they had not made a trip to Washington , DC

It was not immediately clear if the Kremlin had formal the White House behind the scenes, or if the US side decided to exclude its bid before obtaining an official Moscow response.

It is also unclear on what basis Bolton believes Justice Department Justice Robert Mueller, whom Trump calls "The Witch Hunt" to which Bolton referred, could be completed by December 31.

Special counsel's office does not comment on his work or his schedules.

One unanswered question on Wednesday was whether Bolton's statement actually amounted to a policy that means that Putin does not can not come to the United States as long as Mueller's work continues

Trump supporters in Congress Wednesday said that they gave him the benefit of the doubt about the cancellation apparently of his invitation to Putin.

"My guess is [Trump] wants to see if there is a change in behavior," said the senator John Kennedy, R- The

Sen. Lindsay Graham, RS.C., who is currently working with Sen. Bob Menendez, DN.J., on legislation to impose new sanctions on Russia with respect to the interference in the 2016 elections, said that moving the second meeting with Putin was "probably a smart decision taken by the White House. "

" Siding away from the drama of the elections is probably a good idea, "Graham said.He added that he thought Putin was an enemy of the United States, but that" it's not a good idea. " is good to talk to his enemies. "

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., Who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee and co-sponsored a resolution last week condemning Russia for interfering in the elections 2016, said he hoped that any future meeting would be moved out of the US.

"We still do not know what happened in Helsinki," he said. [19659012] High Level Hearing

State Secretary Mike Pompeo appeared before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday afternoon about what Trump and Putin discussed at their meeting private two hours

Pompeo told the senators how he warned the Russians not to interfere in the US elections following the wave of "active measures" that they have launched against the United States in 2016.

Trump policies adopted towards Russia, apart from his rhetoric about the attack on the elections. The Trump administration imposed 213 Russian sanctions, said Pompeo, expelled 60 Russian intelligence officers, supported the US military posture in Europe and taken other measures.

Pompeo also drew attention to military aid that the United States provides to Ukraine and Georgia which, as he said, does not have the same effect. was not available under President Barack Obama.

The Special Advocate

Mueller continues to investigate the 2016 interference and whether any Americans have conspired with it.

Trump, who denies that there was any complicity between his campaign and the Russian effort, comes and goes about what he accepts and what he rejects

Sometimes – as in Helsinki with Putin – Trump says that he does not believe that the Russians have attacked the election. Other times he says that he accepts the findings of the US intelligence community, which have since been approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

More recently, Trump said on Tuesday that he was not only accepting foreign interference, he fears that this year Russia will direct its energies in favor of Democrats who want to claim majorities at the House and the Senate.