In a rare public interview, Russia President Vladimir Putin denied claims that the country tampered with the 2016 United States presidential election.
In the interview, Putin is asked about interfering with the election and if the country had an influence, to which Putin quoted former President George H.W. Bush with his response: “Read my lips: No.”
Watch a video of the remarks above, and for a full video of the panel, watch below.
Putin was speaking on a panel on Arctic issues in Archangelsk, Russia with other world leaders March 30.
Putin called any accusations of influencing the U.S. election “lies.”
All those things are fictional, illusory and provocations, lies. All these are used for domestic American political agendas. The anti-Russian card is played by different political forces inside the United States to trade on that and consolidate their positions inside.
He said in the panel that he was quoting former President Ronald Reagan — though it’s was actually Bush who said it — asking to “read my lips.”
Later in the interview Putin called accusations “ridiculous” and “absurd,” saying the negative look on some of the relations are simply how politics are in the U.S.
The inquiry comes after F.B.I. Director James Comey confirmed that the agency is investigation the Russian governments possible effort to interfere in the presidential election election.
Russia and some Trump administration aides are being investigated by the F.B.I. for illicit connections during the election.
The New York Times reported that authorities in the U.S. “intercepted communications” at about the same time they found evidence that Russia was attempting to disrupt the election by hacking the email server of the Democratic National Committee.
