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There was a lot of noise in Washington after newspapers reported that US intelligence had information that the Russian military intelligence service had paid bonuses to Taliban-linked fighters for killing US troops.
Trump again denied reports that he had been informed of the activity, noting that the information collected by US intelligence did not appear to be reliable enough to be presented to the head of state.
“I think it is a newspaper and a Democratic industry,” the president told Fox Business Network.
“Frankly, I don’t think a lot of intelligence people think anything has happened at all,” Trump added, referring to suspicions of bonds allegedly offered by Russia to Afghan fighters.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the information that Russia was acting against US interests in Afghanistan “was not new,” but defended the administration’s response to the move.
“We take it seriously; “We handle it properly,” said Trump’s loyal ally Pompeo, a former head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), without commenting that intelligence is available.
“The Russians have been selling small arms that have endangered Americans there for 10 years. We opposed it,” the chief of diplomacy said at a press conference.
“When we look at reliable information that shows that Russians are endangering the lives of Americans, we are taking it seriously.”
Putin still waiting?
However, Pompeo did not rule out the possibility of inviting Putin to the United States.
Last month, Trump considered inviting a Russian leader to an expanded G-7 meeting. Russia was ousted from the club of democracies of industrialized industries in 2014 when Moscow annexed Ukraine-owned Crimea.
D. Short “has to decide if he wants [V. Putinas] Come to the summit or not. That is their decision, “said Pompeo.
“I really leave it to him. However, I am convinced that the most frequent contacts with the Russians are absolutely important to us, “added the Secretary of State.
Pompeo said the United States was in contact with Russia to “persuade them to change some of their actions” in conflict with American interests.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his hope to improve relations with Putin, who has led Russia for the past two decades. On Wednesday, Russian voters during a plebiscite passed constitutional amendments that allow Putin to remain in power until 2036.
The position of the President of the United States has even worried some members of his Republican Party, who have traditionally advocated a tough policy towards Russia.
Robert Menendez, one of the top Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday proposed sanctions be announced for Russia over an implicit program of benefits for the Taliban.
An amendment to the Large-Scale Defense Financing Law proposes that Washington freeze the assets of Putin, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoig, and other Russian officials in the United States and ban them from entering the country if he is involved. in bonds, he possibly paid for the murder of US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan.
“As more details emerged about this disgusting Russian campaign, Donald Trump proved once again to be unable to protect our troops and our country,” Menendez said in a statement.
The New York Times, the first to report on possible awards offered by Russia, wrote that the information was provided to the President in February as part of Trump’s daily written reports.
It has been repeatedly reported in the past that Trump does not go deep enough into the intelligence reports submitted to him.
Russia and the Taliban have denied the reports of implicit bonds. The Islamist militant movement signed an agreement with the United States on February 29 that the militants would stop attacking the coalition troops in exchange for a planned withdrawal of foreign forces.
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