Russian President Vladimir Putin says President Donald Trump never passed any classified information to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov when they met last week in Washington, and he has the transcripts to prove it.
Speaking Wednesday alongside Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Putin said Lavrov never passed the purported secrets on to him, and he would be happy to hand over the transcripts of the conversation.
Trump has been defending himself this week after media reports claimed he shared sensitive intelligence with Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak.
The president and his aides have denied Trump shared any information that would have compromised sources or methods of gathering intelligence. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster called Trump’s discussion with Russian diplomats “wholly appropriate.”
"I'm not concerned at all," said McMaster, who sat in on the Oval Office meeting.
News accounts of the meeting claim the classified information involved a possible Islamic State plan to smuggle bombs hidden in laptop computers aboard airliners.
Putin said the anti-Russian sentiment in America is damaging the country and not allowing Trump to govern properly. He accused Trump’s detractors of suffering from “political schizophrenia.”
