Russian President, Vladimir Putin says, he has no knowledge of a reported pre-inauguration proposal by President Donald Trump’s son in law and top aide Jared Kushner to set up a secret, bug-proof communications channel with the Kremlin.
In an interview with an American Television, Putin said he knew nothing about it and that he had not discussed with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak any meeting with Kushner.
The Washington Post has reported that in a New York meeting in December with the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak, the 36 year old Kushner suggested setting up a back channel of communications with Moscow.
Russian President also denied the US intelligence agencies’ assessment that Russia meddled via hacking and other means in the US election to help Trump win. He said he had no idea if the Russian Ambassador to Washington had held contacts with the Trump campaign before the November election.
Putin also denied that Russia had any information on Trump to influence him. About former US national security adviser Michael Flynn,Putin said he had only a brief and passing acquaintance with him,though the two sat next to each other at a dinner in Moscow in 2015.
The contacts Flynn and other Trump aides had with Russian officials and bankers are drawing intense scrutiny, particularly after US intelligence agencies concluded that Russian hackers meddled in the American election. Trump has strongly defended Flynn, saying his former aide was the victim of a witch hunt.
