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Russian Officials Were in Contact With Trump Campaign, Diplomat Says Russian Officials Were in Contact With Trump Allies, Diplomat Says
(about 2 hours later)
MOSCOW — The Russian government maintained contacts with advisers to Donald J. Trump during the American presidential campaign, one of Russia’s top diplomats said Thursday — an assertion a Trump spokeswoman flatly denied. MOSCOW — The Russian government maintained contacts with members of Donald J. Trump’s “immediate entourage” during the American presidential campaign, one of Russia’s top diplomats said Thursday.
“There were contacts,” Sergei A. Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. “We continue to do this and have been doing this work during the election campaign,” he said.“There were contacts,” Sergei A. Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister, was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. “We continue to do this and have been doing this work during the election campaign,” he said.
Mr. Ryabkov said officials in the Russian Foreign Ministry were familiar with many people in Mr. Trump’s entourage. “I cannot say that all, but a wide range of them were in touch with Russian representatives,” Mr. Ryabkov said. Mr. Ryabkov said officials in the Russian Foreign Ministry were familiar with many of the people he described as Mr. Trump’s entourage. “I cannot say that all, but a number of them maintained contacts with Russian representatives,” Mr. Ryabkov said.
The Trump spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said Thursday, “That is absolutely not true.” Later, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said Mr. Ryabkov had been referring to American politicians and supporters of Mr. Trump, not members of his campaign staff. The contacts were carried out through the Russian ambassador in Washington, who reached out to the senators and other political allies to get a better sense of Mr. Trump’s positions on various issues involving Russia.
It was unclear why the Russian government made the assertion on Thursday. A senior government official in Moscow said that the contacts with the Trump campaign had been routine and that they had been carried out through the Russian ambassador in Washington. The meetings with campaign staff members were similar to those the ambassador has with members of Congress to clarify their statements about Russia, the official said. A Trump spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said Thursday that there had been no meeting between campaign staff members and Russian government officials during the campaign.
“We are not aware of any campaign representatives that were in touch with any foreign entities before yesterday, when Mr. Trump spoke with many world leaders,” Ms. Hicks, said. “Those discussions were congratulatory and forward looking.”
It is not uncommon for the presidential nominees of major parties to have contact with foreign leaders, or to meet with heads of foreign governments. During the campaign, Mr. Trump traveled to Mexico to meet with President Enrique Peña Nieto, and Mr. Trump and Hillary Clinton met separately with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in September. Mrs. Clinton also met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt during the United Nations General Assembly session in October.It is not uncommon for the presidential nominees of major parties to have contact with foreign leaders, or to meet with heads of foreign governments. During the campaign, Mr. Trump traveled to Mexico to meet with President Enrique Peña Nieto, and Mr. Trump and Hillary Clinton met separately with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in September. Mrs. Clinton also met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt during the United Nations General Assembly session in October.
But those countries, close American allies, were not accused of trying to interfere with the election. But the possibility that Russian officials would be in touch with a candidate in the United States was a particularly sensitive one, because Russia has been accused of trying to interfere with the election.
After embarrassing emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee and other institutions and prominent individuals were released by WikiLeaks, the Obama administration said in October that Russia had ordered the hacking — an assertion the Russians denied.After embarrassing emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee and other institutions and prominent individuals were released by WikiLeaks, the Obama administration said in October that Russia had ordered the hacking — an assertion the Russians denied.
Beyond that, the Senate minority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation in August to investigate whether Russia might be trying to manipulate the vote.Beyond that, the Senate minority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation in August to investigate whether Russia might be trying to manipulate the vote.
Law enforcement officials said that their investigations into the hacking of the Democrats’ computers and into any financial connections between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russian financial institutions found no conclusive or direct link between Mr. Trump and the Russian government. But law enforcement officials said that their investigations found no direct link between Mr. Trump and the Russian government in the hacking of the Democrats’ computers. They also found no conclusive evidence of financial connections between Mr. Trump’s associates and Russian financial institutions.
Still, some advisers to Mr. Trump have had contact with the Russian government. Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, a retired intelligence officer and an advisor to Trump on security issues, was seated next to President Vladimir V. Putin during an anniversary dinner in Moscow for the English-language satellite television network, RT, in December 2015.
On Thursday, Mr. Rybakov sought to play down the perception that Moscow was thrilled by Mr. Trump’s victory — though members of the state Duma, or Parliament, did burst into applause at the news.On Thursday, Mr. Rybakov sought to play down the perception that Moscow was thrilled by Mr. Trump’s victory — though members of the state Duma, or Parliament, did burst into applause at the news.
“We feel no euphoria,” Mr. Rybakov was quoted as saying in an interview in Moscow.“We feel no euphoria,” Mr. Rybakov was quoted as saying in an interview in Moscow.
He said: “There is diverse experience in dealing with U.S. administrations, representing both Republican and Democratic periods. There were periods when we started on a good note, but then rolled down to crisis. There were other periods in our complicated history.”He said: “There is diverse experience in dealing with U.S. administrations, representing both Republican and Democratic periods. There were periods when we started on a good note, but then rolled down to crisis. There were other periods in our complicated history.”
Ms. Hicks, the spokeswoman for Mr. Trump, said she knew of no contact with Russian officials before Wednesday, when Mr. Trump spoke with world leaders, including Mr. Putin. “Those discussions were congratulatory and forward looking,” Ms. Hicks said. Dmitri S. Peskov, spokesman for Mr. Putin, said the Russian president had been among the first world leaders to congratulate Mr. Trump on his stunning victory, and said he hoped they could work together “to lift Russian-U. S. relations out of the current crisis.”
Mr. Trump’s ties to Russia were an issue in the bitter presidential campaign, during which he praised Mr. Putin. In October, Mr. Trump said that should he win, he would consider meeting with the Russian president ahead of the inauguration. Mr. Trump’s views on Russia were an issue in the bitter presidential campaign, during which he praised Mr. Putin as a stronger leader than President Obama. Mr. Trump made improved relations with the Kremlin a centerpiece of his bid for office. In October, he said that should he win, he would consider meeting with the Russian president ahead of the inauguration. Mr. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said Wednesday that there were no plans for a meeting.
Russian state-run media made no secret of its preference for Mr. Trump, prompting Mrs. Clinton to accuse her rival of being Moscow’s “puppet.” Mr. Putin was careful not to appear to publicly endorse either candidate in the American presidential race, Russian state-run media made no secret of its preference for Mr. Trump, prompting Mrs. Clinton to accuse her rival of being Moscow’s “puppet.”