The front page also states Trump wanted to set up back channels to Russia.

Uhhh, yeah.

World f'ing leaders have a right to be able to talk to each other in "private" or at least without a shit ton of other people listening.

So Trump was the first to want to do that? BS.

I suspect that is the norm for any incoming government anywhere.

I bet Bam-Bam had a private line to Putin, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Trump can probably just call up Putin anyways on his cellphone.