Trump calls Putin and talks of ‘Russian hoax’
US President Donald Trump has said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an hour-long call, covering issues including the “Russian hoax”.
“Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin,” the US president tweeted.
Mr Trump rebuked a reporter who asked whether he had warned Mr Putin against meddling in the 2020 elections.
It was the leaders’ first conversation since the Mueller report cleared Mr Trump of colluding with Russia.
The Kremlin confirmed in a statement the two had spoken, saying the call had been initiated by the White House.
Mr Trump and Mr Putin last spoke informally at December’s G20 Summit in Buenos Aires.
The US president tweeted on Friday about their latest conversation: “As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing not a bad thing.”
When asked in the White House on Friday whether he had warned Mr Putin that Moscow should not interfere in the next US presidential election, Mr Trump told the reporter she was “very rude”.
“We didn’t discuss that,” he said.
“Getting along with countries is a good thing and we want to have good relations with everybody.”
But the White House said the matter of alleged Russian meddling had been broached in the call.
[BBC]