Trump Says Putin ‘Means It’ About Not Meddling
DANANG, Vietnam — President Trump said on Saturday
that he believed President Vladimir V. Putin was sincere in his denials of interference in the 2016 presidential elections, calling questions about Moscow’s meddling a politically motivated “hit job” that was hindering cooperation with Russia on life-or-death issues.
It said that Mr. Trump believed he had “a good meeting” with Mr. Putin on common efforts that, once in place, would “save thousands of lives.”
Mr. Trump’s description of the exchange about election meddling was striking because it suggested
that he concurred with Mr. Putin’s oft-stated contention that the issue was a contrived story that had been allowed to become a detriment to both the United States and Russia.
Speaking after meeting privately with Mr. Putin on the sideline of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting in Danang, Vietnam, Mr. Trump said
that he had again asked whether Russia had meddled in the contest, but that the continued focus on the issue was insulting to Mr. Putin.
“I think that everything connected with the so-called Russian dossier in the United States is a manifestation of a continuing
domestic political struggle,” Mr. Putin said after the summit meeting, in remarks carried by Russian news media.
And you have President Putin very strongly, vehemently says he had nothing to do with that.”
The Central Intelligence Agency on Saturday declined to comment on the remarks by President Trump about Russian interference in the election.
When Mr. Putin denied it, American officials said at the time, Mr. Trump said the two countries must agree to disagree on the issue
and move on to other topics where they could work together.