Sarcastic Putin offers Comey asylum

MOSCOW — Wading into the furor surrounding the investigations of the Trump White House, Russian President Vladimir Putin used a national call-in show Thursday to disparage what he called U.S. “political infighting” that is blocking better relations with Russia.

The Russian leader even sarcastically offered political asylum to fired FBI director James Comey.

Putin mixed the tough talk with benevolent promises about the Russian economy to disgruntled callers complaining about decrepit housing and low salaries during the four-hour marathon intended to burnish his father-of-the-nation image. But the 64-year-old wouldn’t say if he plans to seek another term in the 2018 election, although he is widely expected to do so.

Putin reaffirmed his denial of allegations by U.S. intelligence agencies that the Kremlin meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, saying that Russia has openly expressed its views and hasn’t engaged in any covert activities.

He said the U.S. has sought to influence Russian elections by funding nongovernmental organizations as part of its aspirations for world domination.

Putin also likened Comey to Edward Snowden, a contractor who leaked thousands of secret documents from the U.S. National Security Agency and has been living in Russia since being granted asylum in 2013.