President Vladimir Putin on Friday ridiculed allegations of Russian meddling in US elections, accusing the Democrats of trying to shift blame for their defeat and likening the accusations against Russia to anti-Semitism.
Facing questions from NBC’s Megyn Kelly, who moderated a panel discussion at St. Petersburg’s economic forum, Putin said the claims of Russian interference in the US election contained “nothing concrete, only assumptions.”
In a sign of exasperation, Putin compared what he described as the obsessive US focus on alleged Russian interference with the vote to anti-Semitism.
“It reminds me of anti-Semitism,” he said. “A dumb man who can’t do anything would blame the Jews for everything.”
He insisted that Donald Trump won thanks to his skills, not Russian interference.
“The problem isn’t us, the problem is inside US politics,” he said. “Trump’s team was more efficient during the election campaign.”
He added that while watching the US campaign unfold, he would sometimes think that Trump was going “over the top.”
“But it turned out that he was right,” Putin said. “He found the right approach to those groups of the population, to those voters whom he targeted. They came to the polls and voted for him, and the other team miscalculated.”
Asked about the “fingerprints,” IP addresses allegedly belonging to Russian hackers, he said those could have been easily rigged and couldn’t stand as credible evidence.
“What fingerprints?” Putin said sarcastically. “Hoof prints? Horn prints? Technology experts can invent anything and put the blame on anyone.”
US intelligence agencies have accused Russia of hacking into Democratic Party emails, helping Trump’s election victory, and the congressional and FBI investigations into the Trump campaign’s ties with Russia have broken the Kremlin’s hopes for a detente with Washington.
He said the allegations of Russian hacking into the Democratic National Committee overshadow the fact that the leaked emails were genuine and revealed unpleasant truths.
“It was true information. Was it so important who leaked it?” he said. “It was necessary to apologize to the people and vow not to make such mistakes in the future.”
He blamed the Democrats for the failure to acknowledge their mistakes in the campaign, and “taking internal US political squabbles into the international arena.”
“It’s an attempt to solve internal political problems using foreign policy instruments,” he said. “It’s harmful, hurting international relations, the global economy, security and the fight against terror. It’s time to stop that useless and harmful chatter.”
With particular scorn, Putin scoffed at the US focus on the Russian ambassador’s contacts with members of Trump’s team, saying that the envoy was merely doing his job.
Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s meetings with members of Trump’s team have been a focus of the congressional investigation.
Putin insisted that it was perfectly normal for Kislyak to try to establish contacts and discuss future ties, adding that he hadn’t even started to discuss specifics.
“What else is the ambassador supposed to do?” Putin said. “He’s paid for holding meetings, discussing current affairs. Are you nuts?”
Asked specifically if Kislyak had agreed with members of Trump’s team on lifting anti-Russian sanctions, Putin denied that any such deal was made.
“My answer is no,” he said. “There were no agreements. We didn’t even come close to that. We didn’t even start negotiations.”
Putin also said that Trump’s promise to negotiate new conditions for the US leaves hope for reaching a compromise before the Paris deal takes effect, adding that US participation is essential for the success of global efforts.
He joked that Trump’s move made him a convenient person to blame for any spell of bad weather, including wet snow in Moscow on Friday, an extremely rare occurrence in the summer.
“Now we can dump it all on him and American imperialism,” Putin said.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir became visibly irritated when NBC News propagandist Megyn Kelly grilled him over allegations that Russia hacked the DNC and helped Donald Trump win the election using a line of questioning that sounded as though it came straight out of the Democrat-media complex conspiracy handbook.
Megyn Kelly, now working for NBC News, was moderating a panel discussion in St. Petersburg when she asked Putin about United States intelligence agencies’ conclusions that Russia had interfered with the 2016 U.S. election.
Putin seemed to disingenuously and condescendingly praise Kelly before ripping out his ear piece.
“Everyone should take the American mass media’s role model. Megyn has been demonstrating today high class in her profession,” he said before alleging he didn’t know where the DNC leaks came from.
There was more. Amber Athey reported that Putin ripped his earpiece out a second time as Kelly continued to grill him like a criminal suspect.
“…and what President Trump has been saying…just show me the quote where he said he won because of Russian intervention,” he finished before popping the ear piece back in. “I don’t remember him saying so.”
Kelly, not backing down, said, “[Trump] finally came around to say, ‘I think Russia did it’ and he said, ‘I don’t think he’ll do it again.’”
Putin smirked at Kelly, and said “this is not as simple as having an interview or writing an article in a newspaper” before pulling out the ear piece again.
“As for the interference, look at what your colleagues are doing in our country,” Putin said. “They have been deep down in our domestic policies doing what they want, enjoying themselves, on a systemic basis for many years.”
At one point, Putin told Kelly that even her “underage daughter” could have been behind the hacking.
“IP addresses can be invented — a child can do that! Your underage daughter could do that. That is not proof,” he said, mocking the former Fox talking head.
NBC News added:
“We didn’t do this. Stop this!” he said.
Putin blamed the allegations on “internal political bickering.”
He said: “There is no specific evidence, no facts, just assumptions, allegations and conclusions based on those allegations nothing more.”
Vladimir Putin’s lengthy Q and A session at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum was filled with Putin’s typically thorough responses to major contemporary issues. However, while most people focused on his remarks pertaining to the situation in Syria and Libya, as well as the infamous non-relationship with Donald Trump, Putin’s most important remarks were largely ignored.
During the Forum, President Putin signed important bilateral agreements with Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. In a lengthy letter offering fraternal greetings to the Russian President and nation, Modi affirmed the historic relationship between the two countries which goes back to Soviet support of the Indian people even prior to their independence from the British Empire.
Both Putin and Modi were asked if there are any conflicts of interest in Russia’s continued friendship with India and her more recently consecrated close friendship with China. Both leaders spoke in a clear, united voice on this issue.
Vladimir Putin spoke of how warm relations between the Chinese and Russian leadership helped solve 40 year old crises and how both Russia and India are destined to play a substantial and positive role in China’s One Belt–One Road (often referred to as the New Silk Road) trade project.
The Russian President also talked about how the positive developments in relations between China, India and Russia lead to the formation of the BRICS. Putin stated correctly that based on the progress made between China, India and Russia, Brazil and later South Africa sought membership of the economic alliance.
Putin’s words were strongly echoed by Prime Minister Modi who downplayed historic differences between Beijing and New Delhi and instead focused on areas where both countries can mutually contribute to wider peace and prosperity with of course the help and participation of Russia.
In many ways, it is Russia’s historic friendship with India and her recently build but highly important partnership with China that has brought together three deeply important Asian countries (Eurasian in Russia’s case).
The unity and success of the emerging section of the multi-polar world is dependant on this partnership.
Of course, there are continued disputes that all three countries will have. An alliance, partnership or friendship does not automatically mean that all disagreements will evaporate with immediate effect nor ever, this is true among men, among families and among nations.
France, Britain and the United States have often had disagreements, but until recently, no one has questioned the fact that these nations form part of a domineering alliance, albeit one whose power is rapidly declining.
Similarly, Russia, China and India will never agree on everything, but this does not in anyway contradict the broader trajectory of the countries working in ever closer cooperation economically, in respect of trade, security and even militarily. The key difference is that Russia, China and India are ascending powers while the western alliance is on the decline. Furthermore, Russia, China and India each offer each other a wide variety of diverse and important potential contributions to one another, whilst members of the western alliance are offering less and less to each other.
Putin and Modi’s warm relationship as exhibited in St. Petersburg combined with the recent visibly friendly atmosphere between the Russian and Chinese leaders during the recent One Belt–One Road Forum in Beijing, means that each country is on the correct path towards increasing partnership and cooperation.
Likewise, the leaders of China, India and Russia remain committed to the BRICS which along with the Russian led Eurasian Economic Union will play an important role in the creation and implementation of China’s One Belt–One Road project.
While many are observing the decline of the west, far too few have remarked on the rising sun in the broader global east.
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