When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived at the State Department Wednesday, his most notable question wasn’t about foreign affairs — it was about recently fired FBI Director James Comey.
Russia’s top diplomat met with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and they were expected to discuss Ukraine, Syria and bilateral issues, according to the State Department.
But the first question for Lavrov was about Comey, who until Tuesday was overseeing an investigation into the relationship between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
“Does the Comey firing cast a shadow over your talks,” a reporter asked him.
“Was he fired?” Lavrov asked.
“You’re kidding! You’re kidding,” he said as more questions were lobbed at him before walking away.
Trump plans to meet with Lavrov on Wednesday, according to his schedule.
The meeting is scheduled to take place in the Oval Office and will be closed to press, according to the White House.