Trump's Russia concessions put Republicans on the defensive ahead of midterms

Washington, Oct 14 (UNI) US President Donald Trump has renewed his close engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, making a series of concessions to Moscow that have triggered bipartisan criticism in Washington and left Republicans facing difficult questions ahead of the midterm elections. With roughly three weeks until voting, Trump's latest moves have renewed scrutiny of his decade-long relationship with Putin, a leader viewed unfavourably by most Americans, including many of Trump's own supporters. Since speaking with Putin on Friday, Trump has taken several steps that critics say favour Moscow without securing meaningful concessions in return. On Friday, Trump announced…