1 of 2 | President Donald Trump said he didn't ask Russian President Vladmiri Putin about Russian election meddling. Pool Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI |
License Photo
May 3 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about special counsel Robert Mueller's report during an hourlong phone conversation Friday, but the U.S. president declined to address evidence of Russian meddling, the White House said.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the two leaders spoke "very briefly" about the topic during the conversation, which also addressed protests in Venezuela and nuclear arms control of North Korea.
Sanders said they talked about the Mueller report "essentially in the context of that it's over and there was no collusion.
"I'm pretty sure both leaders were very well aware of [the finding of no collusion] long before this call took place ... something we've said for the better part of two and a half years," Sanders added.
Trump addressed the call in a series of tweets.
"As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing," he tweeted.
"We discussed trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, nuclear arms control and even the 'Russian Hoax.' Very productive talk!"
Later during an Oval Office meeting with Slovakian Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, Trump said he didn't bring up Mueller's evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election with Putin.
Mueller last month released a final report of his two-year investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, and whether Trump colluded with the efforts or obstructed the probe. Though he didn't find evidence of collusion, Mueller outlined 10 cases of possible obstruction in his report, accusing Trump of trying to halt an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and trying to have Mueller fired.