- Title: Putin praises Trump campaign, says US spies may have faked hacking evidence
- Date: 2nd June 2017
- Summary: ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (JUNE 2, 2017) (RUSSIAN POOL) PANEL DISCUSSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE CONTINUES OVER VARIOUS SHOTS OF PUTIN) "And now you are again telling me the public version (of what's happened). I've read these reports. Even in these reports there is nothing concrete, there are only assumptions and conclusions that were made on the grounds of these assumptions." AUDIENCE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE STARTS OVER SHOT OF DISCUSSION HOST LISTENING): "Therefore I think it is necessary (CLOSE OF PUTIN) to stop this useless and harmful gossip. (WIDER SHOT OF PUTIN) I want to stress it once again: it is an attempt (PUTIN AND MODI) to bring internal political squabbling in the United States to the international arena. (CLOSE OF PUTIN) It is an attempt to solve internal political problems using foreign policy instruments. It is harmful. (WIDE OF STAGE) It damages both international relations and the world's economy and (CLOSE OF PUTIN) affects security issues and the fight against terror." AUDIENCE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "Which fingerprints? Say hoof prints (CONTINUES OVER DIFFERENT SHOT OF PUTIN), horns, whose are these prints? IP addresses can be completely made up. Do you know how many specialists are out there (CLOSE OF PUTIN) who can make it look as though it was sent from your home address (DISCUSSION HOST LOOKING ON) by your children?" PARTICIPANTS ON STAGE, AUDIENCE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "Sometimes I myself thought, this guy (Donald Trump) is exaggerating, really, that's true. (WIDE OF STAGE) But it turned out that he was right, (CLOSE OF PUTIN) that he found a way to reach those groups in the population, those groups of voters whom he was betting on. And they came and voted for him. (CLOSE OF PUTIN) The other team miscalculated." PARTICIPANTS ON STAGE, AUDIENCE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "No one wants to admit a mistake, (WIDE OF STAGE) no one wants to say (CLOSE OF PUTIN) 'it was us who didn't understand something, didn't think this through'. It is easier to say 'we are not to blame, the Russians are to blame, they interfered in our polls and we are good'. This reminds me of anti-semitism." PARTICIPANTS ON STAGE, AUDIENCE LISTENING
- Embargoed: 16th June 2017 15:44
- Keywords: hacking St Petersburg Russian interference Donald Trump Trump campaign economic forum cyber Vladimir Putin Russia
- Location: ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
- City: ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0016JL55JB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (June 2) praised Donald Trump for his presidential campaign and claimed that U.S. intelligence agencies may have faked evidence of Russian 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 alleged campaign hacking, he said there were no Russian fingerprints, adding "IP addresses can be completely made up".
Putin said opponents of Trump in the U.S. found it easier to blame Russia for their miscalculation in the election campaign rather than take responsibility for their loss, likening their behaviour to "anti-semitism". - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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