A Russian-American lobbyist says he attended a June 2016 meeting with President Donald Trump’s son, marking another shift in the account of a discussion that was billed as part of a Russian government effort to help the Republican’s White House campaign.

Rinat Akhmetshin confirmed his participation to The Associated Press on Friday. Mr. Akhmetshin has been reported to have ties to Russian intelligence agencies, though he denies those links.

The meeting has heightened questions about whether Mr. Trump’s campaign coordinated with the Russian government during the election, which is the focus of federal and congressional investigations. In emails posted by Donald Trump Jr. earlier this week, an associate who arranged the meeting said a Russian lawyer wanted to pass on negative information about Democrat Hillary Clinton and stated that the discussion was part of a Russian government effort to help the GOP candidate.

While Mr. Trump Jr. has confirmed that Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya was in the meeting, he did not disclose Mr. Akhmetshin’s presence. The President’s son has tried to discount the meeting, saying he did not receive the information he was promised.

Illicit money flow

Mr. Akhmetshin said Mr. Trump Jr. asked the attorney for evidence of illicit money flowing to the Democratic National Committee, but Ms. Veselnitskaya said she didn’t have that information. She said the Trump campaign would need to research it more, and after that Mr. Trump Jr. lost interest, according to Mr. Akhmetshin.

“They couldn’t wait for the meeting to end,” Mr. Akhmetshin said.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and current White House senior adviser, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the meeting.

Britain’s approach to working with India on the terrorism challenges faced by both countries has long been “rock solid” and continued to remain so, Britain’s senior envoy to the country said on Friday.

“There has been close collaboration all the way through…we know India suffers massively and we are as strong collaborating with India on fighting it as we ever were,” said British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith at a meeting in London.

Asked whether Britain’s approach to India’s terrorism concerns — as well as those about Britain’s alleged tolerance of anti-India activity in the country — was changing, signalled by the decision to cancel a rally last week in Birmingham commemorating the death anniversary of Burhan Wani, Sir Dominic said that decision had been down to the local council of Birmingham City.

Freedom of speech

However, he said while Britain stressed the importance of freedom of speech, it also recognised the potential contradiction on occasion between this and concerns about the incitement of violence. “Our principles on counter terrorism are stronger than ever,” he said.

When details of the Wani rally — planned for July 8 — emerged on social media, India had expressed its concerns to Britain via a “note verbale,” and Birmingham Council withdrew permission for the rally, saying they had initially taken a booking for a “peaceful rally” but had changed their assessment after assessing the promotional material. India has in the past been critical of decisions by U.K. authorities to allow events perceived as anti-Indian (including by Sikh groups) to take place.

Sir Dominic’s comments come weeks after India’s high commissioner to the U.K. Y.K. Sinha made candid comments about Britain’s past approach to India’s concerns about the source of terrorism on its borders. “India must be recognised as bearing the brunt of this for decades. ..if this isn’t recognised, bilateral cooperation will not be a success,” he had said at a book launch last month.

“The centre of terrorism is on our west and if you don’t recognise that then I’m afraid there is very little we’ll be able to do,” he had said. He also said in India’s view, Britain had become a “haven for fugitives from justice,” and allowing anti-India activity on its soil.

‘Living bridge’

Turning to the bilateral relationship more widely, Sir Dominic said the expansive, and long-standing “living bridge” between the two countries belied the perception that Britain wanted India’s business, not its people, arguing that many of the connections were happening below the radar. “There’s an endless set of strands…a living bridge,” he said.

He expressed his optimism about the potential for the growth of the relationship including trade, highlighting the joint trade review —involving businesses and governments — that was looking at potential post-Brexit opportunities for growth, including beyond the traditional free trade agreement model. While it was work in progress, a run through or assessment of the plan was likely to take place before the year-end.

He added that he believed the Commonwealth Summit due to take place in London in April next year, presented another significant opportunity to further relations.

The US House of Representatives has passed a $621.5 billion defence policy bill that proposes to advance defence cooperation with India.

An amendment in this regard, moved by Indian-American Congressman Ami Bera, was adopted by a voice vote by the House as part of the National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2018, beginning October 1 this year. NDAA-2018 was passed by the House 344-81.

The India-related amendment passed by the House requires the Secretary of Defence, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to develop a strategy for advancing defence cooperation between the United States and India.

“The United States is the world’s oldest democracy and India is the world’s largest democracy. It is vitally important to develop a strategy that advances defence cooperation between our two nations,” Bera said.

“I am grateful this amendment [is] passed and look forward to the Defence Department’s strategy that addresses critical issues like common security challenges, the role of partners and allies, and areas for collaboration in science and technology,” he said.

“Cooperation between the US and India enhances our own defence and our ability to meet the evolving security challenges of the 21st century,” Bera added.

Following the passage of the National Defence Authorisation Act, the Secretary of Defence and Secretary of State have 180 days to develop a strategy for advancing defence cooperation between the United States and India.

NDAA needs to be passed by the Senate before it can be sent to the White House for the US President Donald Trump to sign it into law.

As passed by the House, NDAA-2018 asks the State Department and the Pentagon to develop a strategy that addresses common security challenges, the role of American partners and allies in India-US defence relationship, and role of the defence technology and trade initiative.

It also asks them to address how to advance the communications interoperability and security memorandum of agreement and the basic exchange and cooperation agreement for geospatial cooperation.

The previous NDAA-2017 had designated India as a major defence partner which brings India at par with closest American partners in terms of defence trade and technology transfer.

Meanwhile, a senior defence official yesterday said that India and US defence relationship is on a positive track.

“… [As] we look at the global order, and when we look at the evolving security environment within Asia, India’s rise and role [is] evolving, [and] we see the United States and India increasingly viewing the region in the same way, and our interests are very much aligned,” said Cara Abercrombie, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia.

Addressing a New York audience, she said the relationship creates a high level of dialogue in the Pentagon on a range of issues.

“This is all rooted in when we look at the region and [what] we share. We have the same [aerial] security interests, the same counter-proliferation, counter-piracy, and counter- terrorism [interests],” she added.

“We have the same interests in upholding this international system that upholds the rule of law that favours freedom of navigation, open sea lanes of communication, and freedom of over flight.

Those are values that are critically important to the United States and India to our economic prosperity and to our access in the region,” Abercrombie said during a panel discussion at the 2017 Global Business Forum in New York City.