Read my lips, no link to Trump victory, says Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday denounced the scandals over Donald Trump’s ties to Moscow, adding that he would be happy to meet with his US counterpart this year. Speaking at an international forum on the Arctic organised by Russia in the northern city of Arkhangelsk, Putin once again denied any Kremlin involvement in the US election last year, slamming the recent accusations as “absurd” and “irresponsible”. Responding to a direct question that asked if Russia had meddled in the US elections this year, Putin simply said:  “Read my lips: No.” These are Putin’s first strong comments since rumours of a Russian intervention started gaining strength soon after Trump’s win.