Donald Trump: Only ‘stupid people’ want bad US ties with Russia
The President-elect says it is better to have a good relationship with Moscow and he vows that Russia will respect the US more.
US President-elect Donald Trump has said having a good relationship with Russia is a “good thing, not a bad thing”.
And only “stupid people or fools” would think it was negative, he claimed on Twitter, as he appeared to hit out at critics of Moscow.
Mr Trump said there are enough problems around the world “without another one” and when he becomes president, Russia will “respect” the US “far more than now”.
The tycoon, whose inauguration ceremony is due on 20 January, also said he hoped the two countries could work together to solve many “great and pressing problems” around the globe.
Ties between Washington and Moscow have become strained in the wake of allegations that Russia used hacking to interfere in last year’s White House election.
President Barack Obama imposed new sanctions on Moscow and dozens of Russian diplomats were expelled from America in retaliation for the alleged cyber attacks. Russia denies the hacking accusations.
US intelligence chiefs claim in a report that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign to influence the election by trying to undermine and discredit Hillary Clinton to boost Mr Trump’s chances of winning.
The Republican candidate unexpectedly defeated his Democratic opponent in November’s contest but he has been skeptical of the hacking accusations and called the controversy a “political witch-hunt”
Culled from: Sky News
