The Russian embassy to the United States said on Thursday it was
in regular contact with "US partners," after the Washington Post
reported that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had failed to disclose meetings
with Russia's ambassador.
Citing Justice Department officials, the Post said Sessions spoke
twice last year with Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador, while he was still a
US senator. US House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday called on
Sessions to resign over the issue.
The question of how much contact there was between the President
Donald Trump's campaign team and Russia prior to his election has dominated
these early days of his presidency, along with allegations from US intelligence
officials that Moscow ran an influence campaign to try to sway the election's
outcome.
Russia categorically denies meddling in the election, and Russian
officials say the issue is being deliberately used by Trump's opponents to
derail chances of a swift warming in US-Russia ties.
"The embassy doesn't comment on numerous contacts with local
partners, which occur on a daily basis in line with diplomatic practice,"
Russian embassy spokesman Nikolai Lakhonin told Russia's Interfax news agency,
when asked to comment on meetings between Sessions and Kislyak.
Sessions has denied discussing details of the US presidential
campaign with Russian officials.
Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired
last month after he discussed US sanctions on Russia with Kislyak before Trump
took office, and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations.
Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia under Barack
Obama who has himself met Kislyak, said he was bemused by what he said was the
Trump administration's secrecy about its contacts with Russian officials.
"I just don't get why Trump folks are so secretive about
meetings/calls with Russians. If nothing to hide, just tell the truth!"
McFaul said on social media.
Alexey Pushkov, a Russian senator, said the uproar over Sessions
showed how paranoid US politicians had become about any links with his country.
"Almost the entire US elite is, it turns out, linked to
Russia. Including the attorney general," Pushkov wrote on social media.
"Paranoia knows no bounds."
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