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Sen. Rand Paul visited Moscow, Russia on Monday and invited Russian lawmakers to visit the US capital. Pavel Golovkin/AP

Republican Sen. Rand Paul was once one of President Donald Trump's staunchest critics, particularly during the 2016 presidential election. But in recent months he's become one of his biggest allies on issues relating to what has been a constant thorn in the president's side: Russia.

In the latest example, during a trip to Moscow on Monday, Paul invited Russian lawmakers to visit Washington, DC, expanding on Trump's efforts to improve US-Russia relations.

"I am pleased to announce that we will be continuing this contact," the Kentucky Republican said in Moscow. "We agreed and we invited members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Russia to come to the US to meet with us in the US, in Washington."

Over the past several weeks, Paul has transitioned from someone who once said a "speck of dirt" would be more qualified to be president than Trump, to backing him on one of the most touchy subjects in politics today.

Paul's invitation and visit to the Russian capital came several weeks after Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, during which Trump appeared to side with the Russian leader over the US intelligence community on the Kremlin's interference in the 2016 election.

Trump faced sharp criticism from politicians on both sides of the aisle for his remarks in Helsinki. But Paul, who during the 2016 campaign characterized Trump as a "delusional narcissist and an orange-faced windbag," was one of the only figures in Washington who defended the president.

"I think engagement with our adversaries, conversations with our adversaries, is a good idea," Paul said during an interview with CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer in mid-July.

"Even in the height of the Cold War, I think it was a good thing that" President John F. Kennedy "had a direct line to" Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, Paul said.

Paul has also been highly critical of the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference and whether anyone in the Trump campaign colluded with Russian officials.

The Kentucky senator has taken up Trump's favorite line of argument on the Mueller probe, describing it as a "witch hunt" against the president during a CNN interview that occurred less than 48 hours after Mueller announced indictments again 12 Russian intelligence officers as part of the investigation.

Meanwhile, Trump has thanked Paul via Twitter for his criticism of the Mueller investigation in recent weeks.

"We had general discussions about a lot of issues and basically we've decided that right now we will try to do is establish a dialogue and solve issues," Paul told CNN on Monday of his conversations with Russian lawmakers.

Paul added: "Your biggest issue right now there is no dialogue, issues that we can't even have discussion about because we have no dialogue."

While in Moscow on Monday, Paul reportedly told Russian lawmakers that the president's "hands are tied behind his back" when it comes to US-Russia relations, adding, "[Trump] can't advocate for greater cooperation between our countries. Because all this will look like: 'Oh, you love Russia!'"

Paul also seems to have delivered a message from Trump to Putin.

On Wednesday, the senator tweeted, "I was honored to deliver a letter from President Trump to President Vladimir Putin's administration. The letter emphasized the importance of further engagement in various areas including countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges."

In many ways, Paul's unorthodox stance on Russia falls in line with his long history of contrarian behavior in Washington.

When it comes to foreign policy, for example, Paul has often been decidedly more isolationist than his GOP counterparts, which has led him to align with Trump on some issues relating to his "America First" policies while rejecting the more neoconservative wing of the party.

During the Obama administration, for instance, he attained national prominence when he filibustered the nomination of John Brennan to run the CIA. Paul, who has continued to be critical of US intelligence agencies, recently suggested that former intelligence officials be stripped of their security clearance, including Brennan. Just hours later, the White House announced Trump was looking into doing that.

After meeting with Russian lawmakers on Monday, Paul said Russia shouldn't necessarily be considered a "friend" to the US, but emphasized the country's "shared interests" on issues such as "Syria, terrorism, and energy."

In the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, Paul called for the US to isolate Russia if it continued to act like a "rogue nation."

"It is important that Russia become economically isolated until all its forces are removed from Crimea and Putin pledges to act in accordance with the international standards of behavior that respect the rights of free people everywhere," Paul wrote in March 2014.

Yet he also urged that the US stay out of the conflict militarily, saying it was not time for "politicians who have never seen war talking tough for the sake of their political careers."

Paul has more recently downplayed Russian election interference and has defied much of the party line on measures to hold the country accountable.

Paul, for example, was one of only two senators to vote against imposing new sanctions against Russia in June 2017. Moreover, as he visited Moscow this week, Paul told Russian lawmakers he'd vote against new sanctions against Russia proposed by his colleagues in the Senate.

Last March, Republican Sen. John McCain accused Paul of "working for Vladimir Putin" after Paul objected to a resolution regarding Montenegro's ascension to NATO.

"The senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin," McCain said at the time.

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MOSCOW Sen. Rand Paul, one of President Trumps more eager defenders on Russia, jetted into Moscow on Monday in a bid to increase engagement with the country.

Paul (R-Ky.) met with several Russian senators, including Sergey Kislyak, Russias former envoy to Washington and a key player at the heart of the election interference scandal that continues to rock relations between the United States and Russia.

In a meeting at Russias upper house of parliament, Paul also invited Russian lawmakers to meet with U.S. Congress members, in Washington or elsewhere, the Interfax news agency reported him as saying.I think this is incredibly important, Paul said after the high-profile sit-down.

That meeting could take place as soon as this fall, saidKonstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign relations committee in the upper house.

Mondays whirlwind visit to Moscow, however, was not official diplomacy.Sen. Rand Paul is visiting Russia as part of a private group, said a spokesman from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

The senator, who was once a foe of the president, has emerged as a unique and somewhat renegade voice, coming as both Republicans and Democrats criticize the president for not taking a tougher stance against Russia. The relationship between the two countries has sunk to lows not seen since the Cold War as they spar over a range of issues from election interference to the crises in Syria and Ukraine.

Paul was accompanied by Don Huffines, a Republican member of the Texas state Senate; and Peter Goettler, president and chief executive of the libertarian Cato Institute. The group also planned to visit St. Petersburg, Russias second-largest city and President Vladimir Putins hometown, Russian state-run media reported.

[Onetime political foe Rand Paul, Trumps fiercest defender on Russia]

His visit comes just weeks after a delegation of Republican lawmakers visited Moscow for meetings with the Russian parliament, as well as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the first time the two sides had had direct contact in years. That largely conciliatory meeting, held over the July4 holiday, was met with bipartisan scorn at home.

Paul is a backer of Trumps controversial interactions with Putin, heralding the two leaders Helsinki summit last month as exactly the sort of action Washington should be taking to mend ties between the two.

The summit drew sharp criticism at home after Trump suggested he was inclined to believe Putins version of events regarding the 2016 U.S. presidential election that is, Russias denial of interference over the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community.

Paul has questioned the extent of Russian interference. Kosachev, meanwhile, echoed the Kremlins claims that it had no role in election interference in 2016.

And it will certainly not happen during the ongoing election campaign, either, Kosachev told reporters after meeting with Paul, referring to the U.S. midterms, Interfax reported.

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Sen. Rand Paul goes to Moscow and invites Russians to ...

Sen. Rand Paul said Monday that he will support Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh after meeting with him last week.

"I believe he will carefully adhere to the Constitution and will take his job to protect individual liberty seriously," Paul said in a statement.

The Kentucky senator was one of the few Republicans considered a possible swing vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, also are being closely watched.

But with Paul voicing clear support -- and Collins and Murkowski signaling potential support in recent weeks -- Kavanaugh's prospects appear to be improving as GOP leaders aim to engineer a swift confirmation by the fall.

In another sign of congressional outreach, Kavanaugh is having his first meeting Monday with a Democratic senator since becoming Trump's high court nominee.

He plans to sit down with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, one of a handful of Democratic senators who could cross the aisle to vote for Kavanaugh as most Democrats line up against him.

Paul, meanwhile, has taken issue with Kavanaugh's record supporting the warrantless collection of telephone metadata.

"I have expressed my concern over Judge Kavanaughs record on warrantless bulk collection of data and how that might apply to very important privacy cases before the Supreme Court," he said Monday.

But he said his vote is not a "single-issue" decision and voiced confidence in Kavanaugh's record on other issues.

"My conversation with Judge Kavanaugh reinforces my belief that he will evaluate cases before the Supreme Court from a textual and originalist point of view," Paul said.

On issues such as property rights and reining in the administrative state, Judge Kavanaugh has a strong record and showed a deep commitment during our meeting. ... Finally, his strong defenses of the First and Second Amendments in landmark cases show someone who isnt afraid to challenge the status quo and will fight with backbone. Judge Kavanaugh will have my support and my vote to confirm him to the Supreme Court.

Republicans, with a 51-49 majority, have little wiggle room on the Kavanaugh vote. And with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., out battling brain cancer, GOP leaders cannot spare a single vote unless they attract Democratic support.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Rand Paul says he will support Supreme Court nominee Brett ...

Rand Paul will head a U.S. delegation Monday to meet with Russian members of parliament, a spokesman for the Kentucky Republican confirmed on Thursday.

Senator Rand Paul is a proponent of diplomacy and is supporting President Donald J. Trump in engaging around the world. He looks forward to his meetings, his press secretary Sergio Gor told The Washington Times.

Reuters initially reported the visit Thursday morning.

Russian agencies said Konstantin Kosachov, who heads the parliaments foreign affairs committee, announced the meeting.

Mr. Paul has not yet confirmed Reuters report.

In July, the Kentucky senator penned an op-ed for Politico saying he planned on venturing to Russia.

In just a few weeks, I will take my own trip to Russia in an attempt to discuss common ground with their leaders and help prevent further, unnecessary escalation of tensions, Mr. Paul wrote. We will discuss trade, cultural exchanges and how to better work for peace and prosperity in the world. I look forward to consulting with Trump between his visit and mine and to working with diplomats from both countries to have a successful trip and better relationships.

Mr. Paul was one of President Trumps staunchest supporters following the Helsinki summit. In the face of harsh bipartisan backlash, Mr. Paul repeatedly called for the president to be praised for meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The trip will be the second time a group of Republican members of Congress meet with their Russian counterparts. Several GOP lawmakers journeyed to Moscow in July, just a few days prior to Mr. Trumps summit with Mr. Putin.

The first visit addressed several topics, including Russian interference in the 2016 elections. Mr. Putin strongly denied the American intelligence communitys findings at the Helsinki summit, but top defense and intelligence officials all agree the Russian threat is ongoing.

No details have been released yet as to what will be discussed at the upcoming meeting.

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Rand Paul will lead a U.S. delegation to meet with Russian ...

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) announced on Monday he will support the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trumps nominee to the Supreme Court.

The Kentucky Republican had previously expressed concerns about Kavanaughs stance on the Constitutions Fourth Amendment, which bans unreasonable searches and seizures by government officials.In 2015, for example, Kavanaugh wrote a concurring opinion to a District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruling affirming the constitutionality of the National Security Agencys warrantless phone records collection program,which allowed the government to track Americans metadata.

I disagree completely, Paul said of Kavanaughs ruling earlier this month.

But after meeting with Kavanaugh last week in his office for over an hour, and after reviewing his caseload, Paul said he hoped the conservative judge will be more open to a Fourth Amendment that protects digital records and property.

Of course, my vote is not a single-issue vote, and much of my reading and conversation has been in trying to figure out exactly how good Judge Kavanaugh will be on other issues before the Court, Paul said in a statement released by his office on Monday. My conversation with Judge Kavanaugh reinforces my belief that he will evaluate cases before the Supreme Court from a textual and originalist point of view.

He added: I believe he will carefully adhere to the Constitution and will take his job to protect individual liberty seriously.

Paul, a libertarian-leaning critic of U.S. interventions abroad, also said he found Kavanaughs views on war powers and separation of powers encouraging.

Paul has garnered a bit of a reputation in the Senate for his loud but ultimately brief stands against Trump nominees.Earlier this year, for example,he pledged to block Trumps pick of Mike Pompeo to lead the State Department over the nominees support on the Iraq War. But Paul ended up voting for Pompeo after receiving assurances from Trump that the former CIA director now believes the war was a mistake.

With Pauls vote now safely in the yes column, the chances of Kavanaughs confirmation are looking like more of a safe bet.Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) still remain undecided on his nomination, but they have both signaled comfort with the judge. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), meanwhile, is meeting with Kavanaugh on Monday,and he too is expected to back the judges nomination.

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Rand Paul Says He'll Support Brett Kavanaugh's Nomination ...