Russian diplomat: There were contacts with Trump campaign

10 November 2016, 2:03 pm

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A top Russian diplomat says Moscow had contacts with the campaign of Donald Trump ahead of his election as US president.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov is quoted as telling the Interfax news agency Thursday that “there were contacts” with influential people in Trump’s circle. “I don’t say that all of them, but a whole array of them, supported contacts with Russian representatives.”

Traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls, Matryoshka dolls, depicting Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Hillary Clinton and US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump are seen on sale at a gift shop in central Moscow on November 8, 2016. (AFP PHOTO / Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV) — Traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls, Matryoshka dolls, depicting Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Hillary Clinton and US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump are seen on sale at a gift shop in central Moscow on November 8, 2016. (AFP PHOTO / Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)

The report did not give further details.

Trump’s relations with Russia were one of the most contentious issues of the campaign, especially in light of his favorable remarks about President Vladimir Putin as a strong leader, and persistent contention by his opponents that Russia was responsible for hackers purloining emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign staff.

— AP