Putin: It's ridiculous to suggest that Russia is trying to interfere in the US presidential election

VNA/Vietnam+• October 3, 2019 08:50

Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was "ridiculous" to suggest Moscow would seek to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election, having also denied doing so in 2016.

In photo (file photo): Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and US President Donald Trump at a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka (Japan) on June 28, 2019. Source: AFP/TTXVN

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 2 that it was "ridiculous" to suggest that Moscow would seek to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election, while affirming that there was no evidence of Moscow's interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

US intelligence agencies believe that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election in favor of Donald Trump, while Moscow has always denied this accusation.

Speaking at an economic forum in Moscow, Mr Putin stressed that Russia would be ready to work with any US president-elect, and had better things to do than meddling in US elections. He also expressed hope that relations with Washington would improve.

Regarding the controversy in the US over allegations that Mr. Trump sought Ukraine's interference in the 2020 US presidential election, Mr. Putin spoke out to defend his American counterpart. Mr. Putin said that "nothing was compromised" in the transcript of the phone call between Mr. Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Commenting on the phone call that is at the center of the impeachment investigation of Mr. Trump, President Putin said: "President Trump asked a colleague to investigate possible corruption involving members of the former administration. Any state leader should do the same."

Mr. Putin also said he would not object to the content of his phone calls with the US President being published and that he always thought that his statements could be published at any time.

The phone call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelenskiy attracted public attention when it was reported that during the call, Mr. Trump pressured Mr. Zelenskiy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a potential candidate in next year's presidential election. On September 24, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initiated an impeachment inquiry into the president./.