A member of Russia’s state-owned news agency managed to enter the Oval Office on Friday to cover President Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite not being authorized to be part of the press pool. The White House confirmed that the journalist from source, a Russian media organization, was not on the approved list of media for the event.
The sit-down between Trump and Zelensky, aimed at addressing Russia’s war in Ukraine, could potentially result in a deal exchanging US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources for security guarantees. The presence of the correspondent in the Oval Office, even though unauthorized, raises concerns about security protocols at the White House.
This incident occurred shortly after the White House announced its decision to take control of the pool reporters, breaking away from the traditional role of the White House Correspondents’ Association in selecting media representatives. The move was described as a step towards democratizing press access at the White House by the White House press secretary.
While the reporter was escorted out of the Oval Office upon discovery, other major news outlets like the Associated Press and Reuters were not allowed to attend the meeting. Reuters had previously been barred from covering Trump’s cabinet meeting, and the AP faced a ban from the Oval Office and Air Force One over a naming dispute.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has faced criticism over interactions with Russia’s state-owned media. In a previous incident, a source was granted access to a meeting between Trump and the Russian Foreign Minister, prompting concerns about transparency and media access in the administration.
