President Putin: Claims of Russian Interference in Trump Election 'Remind Me of anti-Semitism'

HAARETZ – Russian President Vladimir Putin said U.S. officials blaming Russia of interfence in the U.S. election to help Donald Trump become president “reminds me of anti-Semitism and blaming the Jews. This is disinformation.”

He made the comments to NBC News’ Megyn Kelly’ who moderated a panel at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday.

At the event, Putin also said that Trump had run a more effective presidential campaign than Hillary Clinton and that U.S. intelligence agencies may have faked evidence of campaign hacking. 

Putin, addressing an economic forum in St Petersburg, said U.S. allegations that Russia had hacked the Democratic Party to help Trump amounted to “harmful gossip.” 

When it came to the alleged hacking, he said there were no “Russian fingerprints.”

Putin also said that allegations there had been a secret deal between Moscow and Trump before his inauguration as U.S. president were “hysteria.”

“There was nothing concrete, zero. It’s just hysteria. Should I give you a pill?” Putin told a moderator when asked about a possible deal between Trump and Moscow. 
Putin accused the United States of carrying out “crude and systematic interference in Russian affairs for many years.”  

The Russian government has denied U.S. intelligence agencies’ conclusion that it sought to influence the election in Trump’s favor, but Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that some Russian individuals may have acted on their own.
Putin also said he wouldn’t judge Trump for quitting a landmark climate pact, but said he thought Washington could have stayed in the agreement.

Putin said the 2015 Paris accord was a good document, but that Russia had not yet ratified it because it was waiting for certain technical details to be settled. 
Putin also called on U.S. businessmen on to help restore normal dialogue with Washington, saying good U.S.-Russia relations were in the interest of both nations. 
Putin, addressing senior U.S. business executives during an economic forum in St Petersburg, said Moscow would continue to talk to U.S. President Donald Trump and the new U.S. administration. 

“Help us restore normal political dialogue,” Putin said. “I ask you on behalf of Russia and I address the American side: help the new president and the new administration.”