Trump accused of hiding content of conversation with Putin

Washington PostOn January 12, US officials said they currently do not have detailed records of the content of five private meetings between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The US newspaper said that the White House boss went to "extraordinary efforts" to keep his discussions with his Russian counterpart secret. Current and former US officials said President Trump even confiscated an interpreter's notes about his meeting with President Putin and did not allow the interpreter to discuss the details of the meeting with other administration officials.

The practice was discovered after the Trump-Putin meeting in Hamburg, Germany, in 2017, which was attended by then-US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. A White House adviser and a senior US State Department official sought information from the interpreter beyond what Secretary Tillerson shared, but received only a shake of the head.

According toWashington PostTrump's actions are unusual compared to previous presidents, especially when they take place in the context of US prosecutors investigating the possibility that Trump's campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election results.

Responding to the article, Trump insisted he was "not hiding anything." "I don't care. I mean it's ridiculous, they made it up," the US President said in an interview.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called the report that President Trump concealed the content of his meeting with President Putin "extremely inaccurate," adding that Trump has taken a tougher stance on Russia than his predecessors.