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President Donald Trump said he believed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had "probably" killed his detractors, and said it did not concern him very much.
In an interview with CBS Newsmagazine 60 minutesFacilitator Lesley Stahl asked Trump if he believed the long-praised Kremlin leader had participated in the assassination of his detractors.
"Do you agree that Vladimir Putin is involved in assassinations? In poisonings?" Stahl asked.
JORGE SILVA / AFP / Getty Images
"Probably that it is, yes, probably," replied the president. Then, seeming to dismiss the concern that the claims would arouse for many, he added, "But I'm relying on them." It's not in our country. "Trump also said," Of course, they should not do it. "
No names or specific allegations were mentioned in the interview, but several renowned Kremlin critics were murdered in unusual circumstances. Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist, was murdered in 2006 and the former Deputy Prime Minister, Boris Nemtsov, in 2015. Aleksandr Litvinenko, former Russian security agent, was poisoned in 2006. The Kremlin has always denied any involvement in these deaths.
Before Trump's remarks about the alleged killings, Stahl urged the president to explain why he seemed reluctant to publicly criticize Putin. Trump responded by highlighting the measures taken by his government to counter Russia.
"I am the one who gave Ukraine offensive weapons and tank killers. Obama did not do it, "he said. "Do you know what he sent? He sent pillows and blankets. I am the one and [Obama’s] the one who gave a part of Ukraine … "
Stahl interrupted, saying that Trump had not directly criticized the Russian leader.
"I think I'm very hard on him personally. I had a meeting with him. We both. It was a very difficult meeting and a very good meeting, "he said.
Faced with allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Trump admitted that Moscow had done so, but also stressed China's efforts, saying that the latter country was "a bigger problem".
The president often spoke enthusiastically of Putin, welcoming his July summit with the Russian leader as "even better" than he had had with NATO allies a few days ago. Since his presidential campaign, Trump has often referred to the strong leader in positive and respectful terms, eliciting much criticism from Democrats and Republicans.
Trump's 2016 presidential campaign is still under investigation for possible collusion with the Russian government. Several of the key collaborators have been indicted and convicted, and the president would be preparing with his legal team to answer questions from the special advocate Robert Mueller as part of the investigation.
Russian interference in the elections has attracted considerable attention from the country, with analysts warning that Moscow is still interfering in the upcoming mid-term elections in November, but intelligence and security experts have pointed out that China was a bigger threat.
Last week, Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, appointed by Trump, testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, China is the "greatest threat" currently facing the country.
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