Senior aide ‘discussed sanctions with Russia’
THE White House national security adviser, Michael Flynn, privately discussed sanctions against Russia with Moscow’s ambassador to the United States in the month before Donald Trump took office, reports claim.
Senior US officials interpreted the contacts as a “potentially illegal” signal to Russia that it could expect a reprieve from sanctions imposed by the administration of Barack Obama, the
Washington Post reported. Mr Flynn exchanged phone calls and text messages with Sergei Kislyak, the Russian ambassador, on Dec 29, the day Mr Obama expelled three dozen Russian diplomats in retaliation for hacking the US presidential election.
Mr Flynn initially denied he had discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador. A spokesman for Mr Flynn has now indicated that “while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he [Mr Flynn] couldn’t be certain that the topic never came up”. But nine senior officials told the Washington Post that sanctions were discussed.
Several officials emphasised that, although sanctions were discussed, they did not conclude that Mr Flynn promised to reverse them after Mr Trump was inaugurated.
But one told the Washington Post: “Kislyak was left with the impression that the sanctions would be revisited at a later time.”