Russia is seizing on a GOP trip to Moscow to carefully craft its narrative ahead of the Trump-Putin summit

Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS

• A large delegation of Republican lawmakers met with Kremlin officials this week for an opaque series of meetings in Moscow.
• The lack of transparency gave Russia an opportunity to drive its own narrative of the visit.
• President Donald Trump's tendency to capitulate to the Russian leader and side with Moscow over the US intelligence community furthered Russia's goals.

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A large group of Republican lawmakers spent the Fourth of July with Kremlin officials in Moscow for series of rather opaque meetings.

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