Pompeo firmly opposes Russian claims on Crimea, Ukraine, but struggles to explain Trump
WASHINGTON - An often-defensive Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo struggled Wednesday to explain President Donald Trump's often confusing and secretive handling of foreign policy as senators demanded details about the president's conversations last week with Russia's Vladimir Putin.
In testimony that began shortly after the White House announced that a planned Putin visit to Washington would be put off until next year, sparing Republicans an unwanted election-season distraction, Pompeo attempted to dispel the criticism that Trump has been soft on Russia.
Citing a series of economic sanctions that Washington imposed on Moscow and the expulsion from the U.S. of dozens of Russian spies, Pompeo contended that Trump has overseen a defensive military buildup that
