Kremlin denies discussing sanctions with Flynn
Moscow on Friday denied allegations that U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak before President Trump took office.
A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said that the report about the discussion “is not correct.”
“There were certain conversations [between Flynn and Kislyak],” Peskov said when asked about the allegations, according to Tass news agency.
“Other than that the information is not correct,” he added, while stating that exact details of the conversation should be verified with Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
The Washington Post on Thursday reported that Flynn and Kislyak discussed the possibility of lifting sanctions on Russia in a series of phone calls before the inauguration in January — something Flynn and other Trump officials had publicly denied.
The report, which cited nine current and former officials, said the discussion took place the day that then-President Obama imposed sanctions on Russia for its interference in the election.
Flynn, according to the report, strongly suggested to Kislyak that the sanctions would be lifted once Trump took office.
A spokesman told the Post that while Flynn “had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn’t be certain that the topic never came up.”
Th Post said that the FBI is investigating the discussion.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Trump should fire Flynn if the discussion about sanctions took place.
“If he did so, and then he and other Administration officials misled the American people, his conduct would be all the more pernicious, and he should no longer serve in this Administration or any other,” the lawmaker said on Friday.
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