Putin: 'Maybe Ukrainians or Jews meddled in US elections'
Russian president tells NBC he 'couldn't care less' about alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election, arguing 13 Russian nationals and 3 Russian companies indicted in US 'do not represent' his government.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told NBC he doesn't care about alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election because the actions weren't connected to his government, further suggesting "Ukrainians, Tatars or Jews" might have been involved.
In an interview with the US television network, the Russian president was asked if he condoned the interference by 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies detailed in a US indictment.
"I do not care at all, because they do not represent the government," he said, according to the interview transcript posted Saturday by the Kremlin.
"Why have you decided the Russian authorities, myself included, gave anybody permission to do this?" Putin asked interviewer Megyn Kelly.
"So what if they're Russians?" he continued. "There are 146 million Russians. So what? ... I don't care. I couldn't care less. ... They do not represent the interests of the Russian state."
"Maybe they are not even Russians but Ukrainians, Tatars or Jews but with Russian citizenship, which should also be checked; maybe they have dual citizenship of a green card; maybe the US paid them for this. How can you know that? I do not know either," he said.
He argued he hasn't seen any evidence of the alleged interference, noting that "We in Russia cannot prosecute anyone as long as they have not violated Russian law. At least send us a piece of paper ... Give us a document. Give us an official request. And we'll take a look at it."
Furthermore, Putin tried to paint the accusations as "ridiculous," saying, "Could anyone really believe that Russia, thousands of miles away ... influenced the outcome of the election? Doesn't that sound ridiculous even to you?" Adding, "It's not our goal to interfere. We do not see what goal we would accomplish by interfering. There's no goal."
In November, US President Donald Trump said Putin told him "he absolutely did not meddle in our election. He did not do what they are saying he did."
"Every time he sees me, he said: 'I didn’t do that.' And I believe, I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it," Trump said, noting that Putin is "very insulted" by the accusation. Trump called the allegation an "artificial barrier" erected by Democrats—once again casting doubt on the US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia tried to interfere in the election to help Trump win.
Speaking in an interview with the Russian state television several days ago, Putin lavished Trump with praise, describing him as a great communicator.
"I have no disappointment at all," Putin said when asked about the US president. "Moreover, on a personal level he made a very good impression on me."
The two leaders met on the sidelines of international summits last year. Putin praised Trump as a "balanced" man, who easily gets into the gist of various issues and listens to his interlocutor.
"It's possible to negotiate with him, to search for compromises," Putin added.
He elaborated further in the interview with Kelly, calling the American president "a businessman with vast experience" and "a quick study" despite being a newcomer to politics.
"He understands that if it is necessary to establish a cooperative relationship with someone, then you have to treat your current or potential partner with respect," the Russian leader said. "Engaging in mutual accusations and insults, this is a road to nowhere."
Ynetnews staff contributed to this story.
