Sen. Mike Lee was issued a visa to travel to Russia this week. The approval comes after several of his colleagues were denied entry by the Kremlin.
Politico reports a spokesperson for Lee confirmed the Senator was given a visa to travel after Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson were both blocked. Murphy and Johnson are both members of the foreign relations committee. The denials came after several senators objected to President Donald Trump’s efforts to readmit Russia to the G-7.
Lee is scheduled to travel to Russia from Sept. 5-8. He will meet with government officials and outgoing Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman.
Lee plans to discuss “trade and military relations, [and] religious liberty,” the spokesman added in a statement. “It is important for the United States to maintain a strong and open dialogue with the Russian Federation in order to make progress on matters that are central to American peace and prosperity.”
It was unclear last week whether Lee would receive his visa amid growing discord between the Senate and Moscow.
