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86A 86 senator John Mc &ain has criticised 86 Presi dent 'onald Trump for sug gesting he believes personal assurances from 9ladimir Pu tin that 5ussia did not meddle in the 86 presidential election.

The former 5epublican presi dential nominee¶s interven tion has come after 'onald Trump suggested he believes 9ladimir Putin¶s denials after the pair met in 9ietnam dur ing the 86 President¶s Asia tour.

,n a statement, 6enator Mc &ain said ³President Trump today stated that he believed 9ladimir Putin is being sin cere when he denies 5ussian interference in the presi dential election and reiterated that he hopes to cooperate with 5ussia in 6yria.

³There¶s nothing µAmerica )irst¶ about taking the word of a .G% colonel over that of the American ,ntelligence community. ³There¶s no µprincipled realism¶ in coop erating with 5ussia to prop up the murderous Assad regime, which remains the greatest obstacle to a political solu tion that would bring an end to the bloodshed in 6yria. ³9ladimir Putin does not have America¶s interests at heart. To believe otherwise is not only naive but also places our national security at risk.´ )ollowing his meeting with 9ladimir Putin yesterday, the 86 President made clear he believes a personal assurance by the 5ussian President that Moscow did not meddle in the 86 election. President Trump said ³, can¶t stand there and argue with him. , would rather have him get out of 6yria, to be honest with you. , would rather« get to work with him on the 8kraine. ³(very time he sees me he says , didn¶t do that and , really believe that when he tells me that, he means it.´ ³<ou can only ask so many times. , just asked him again. He said he abso lutely did not meddle in our election. He did not do what they are saying he did.´ The 5epublican President added that he thinks 9ladimir Putin ³is very insulted by´ reports that the .remlin interfered in last year¶s 86 election, add ing that it was µnot a good thing for our country´.

(express.co.uk)