Russian state-media reporter gains access, but is later removed from Trump-Zelenskiy meeting

By Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A reporter from Russia's state-owned news agency gained access to a Friday meeting in the Oval Office between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as they clashed about their different views on how to end the three-year war.

A White House official said that the White House had not permitted entry to the reporter from Russia's TASS, and added that he was removed as soon as press officials were notified of his presence.

A Reuters reporter saw some White House officials check reporter identities and allow the TASS reporter to walk in before the Trump-Zelenskiy meeting began, as the White House officials handpicked journalists who could cover the Oval Office meeting.

It was unclear if the TASS reporter had been allowed into the Oval Office through a mistake by those White House officials, or whether there was a conflict between the press office's plans and the access decisions made by other White House officials.

The White House did not respond to questions posed by Reuters about how the TASS reporter gained entry to the Oval Office. 

"TASS was not on the approved list of media for today's pool," a White House official said. "As soon as it came to the attention of press office staff that he was in the Oval, he was escorted out by the Press Secretary."

The U.S. Secret Service didn't immediately respond to comment on the matter. TASS did not respond to a request for comment. The TASS journalist, Dmitry Kirsanov, declined a request for comment.

Reuters could not reach the Kremlin for an immediate comment.

Reporters from outlets, including Reuters and the Associated Press which have covered the U.S. President's press pool for decades, were stopped by the same White House officials from walking in.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced the White House would determine which media outlets would cover the president in smaller spaces such as the Oval Office.

The three wire services that have traditionally served as permanent members of the White House pool, the AP, Bloomberg and Reuters, on Wednesday released a statement, criticizing the new policy.

The White House Correspondents' Association has traditionally coordinated such access, through the rotation of the presidential press pool.

The pool system, administered by the WHCA, allowed select television, radio, wire, print and photojournalists to cover events and share their reporting with the broader media.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier that while traditional media organizations would still be permitted to cover Trump on a day-to-day basis, the administration planned to change who participates in smaller spaces. 

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington, Editing by Sally Buzbee and Edward Tobin)