'US foolishness caused Russia tensions'
US President Donald Trump has said ties with Russia have "NEVER been worse" and blamed US politicians, ahead of his first-ever summit with counterpart Vladimir Putin.
In a tweet the US president denounced his predecessor's "stupidity" and the "rigged" inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. The summit is being held in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, later on Monday.
Some US politicians had called for it to be cancelled after 12 Russians were charged with hacking on Friday. The defendants - all Russian intelligence officers - are accused of launching cyber-attacks on the 2016 presidential campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
But in his tweet, Trump put the blame for the deterioration of relations with Russia squarely on US domestic forces.
BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says the tweet is likely to alarm White House advisers, already nervous about the risks of giving too much ground to the Russian leader during the talks.
Many in the West have criticized Moscow for what they regard as its destabilizing activities in Ukraine. The US, among others, has imposed sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Crimea in 2014. The summit - in which the two leaders will be joined only by their interpreters - comes after a tumultuous European tour that saw Trump criticize allies of the US over trade and military spending.
Russia has been criticized in the US because of its military support for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria as well as its actions in Ukraine. Tensions also are high as a result of accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 election in the US. The allegations are being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Trump has consistently denounced the inquiry as a "witch hunt". The 12 Russians indicted on Friday were targeted as part of Mueller's investigation. They are accused of using keystroke-reading software to spy on the chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and hack into the party's computers.
