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Going against advice, Trump congratulated Putin on his election win

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that the poisoning of a spy in the UK was not mentioned during the call.

VIETNAM-APEC-SUMMIT Trump chats with Putin at a summit in the central Vietnamese city of Danang in November 2017. AFP / Getty Images AFP / Getty Images / Getty Images

US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump congratulated Vladimir Putin on his re-election, as the leaders raised the prospect of a summit in the near future – while sidestepping both the issue of election meddling and a spy attack that has rocked Moscow’s relations with the Western world.

Other world leaders have refrained from congratulating Putin amid reports of voting inconsistencies and tensions between the UK and Russia over the recent poisoning of a spy on British soil.

Trump told reporters at the White House he had spoken with Putin, two days after the Russian strongman sailed to a fourth term as president, and with ties strained by the Cold War-style intrigue over the poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain.

“I had a call with President Putin and congratulated him on his electoral victory,” the US leader said.

The call had to do also with the fact that we will probably get together in the not-too-distant future.

In calling Putin, Trump ignored explicit advice from his national security advisers not to do so, The Washington Post reported, quoting officials familiar with the call.

This warning included a section in his briefing materials in capital letters that read “DO NOT CONGRATULATE,” the Post said.

According to a Kremlin statement, the two leaders also stressed the importance of joint efforts to limit an arms race and boost economic cooperation.

“On the whole, the conversation was constructive and business-like,” the Kremlin said, adding that its goal was to help the two countries “overcome the problems that had accumulated in the Russian-US relations”.

Russia is under pressure from London and its allies to explain how its former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned on British soil, with a nerve agent the UK says is Soviet-designed.

Moscow has denied being involved.

Although the nerve attack has topped global headlines for weeks, it did not come up during the leaders’ conversation, according to both the Kremlin and White House.

“I don’t believe that was discussed in today’s call,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.

Nor did they address Washington’s imposition last week of a new round of sanctions against Moscow designed to punish Russians responsible for attempts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election.

Nor did they discuss the questions that have been raised over the weekend poll in Russia.

“The focus was to talk about areas of shared interests,” Sanders said.

‘Sham elections’

Those shared interests, according to the Kremlin, included the crises in Ukraine and Syria, and ways of “developing practical cooperation” in various spheres including the fight against terrorism.

Pyongyang’s nuclear program was on the agenda as Trump pushes forward with plans for a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“Satisfaction has been expressed with a certain decrease in tensions around the Korean peninsula,” the Kremlin added.

The leaders also paid “special attention” to “working out the issue of holding a possible meeting at the highest level.”

In the aftermath of an election that appears to have had significant flaws, a prominent American critic of Putin – and of Trump himself – offered a stinging denunciation of the US commander in chief’s call.

“An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections,” said US Senator John McCain, who is home in Arizona battling cancer.

And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country’s future.

The White House had earlier indicated that no call with Putin was planned, as the Russian leader played down talk of a rift.

On Sunday, Putin secured a landslide victory in a presidential election that saw him return to the Kremlin with a record vote share of 76.66%.

The Kremlin yesterday released a list of those who had sent congratulatory messages – including the leaders of Greece, Germany, Iran, the Czech Republic, Finland, Syria and North Korea.

Western leaders were slow to congratulate Putin as monitors reported ballot stuffing and other alleged cases of fraud, though fewer irregularities were reported than in previous years.

Putin said on Monday he would address disputes with the West but stressed that international relations were a two-way street.

“From our side, we will do all we can so that the disputes with our partners be resolved by political and diplomatic means,” he said.

It goes without saying that not everything depends on us – as with love, both sides have to be involved, otherwise there can be no love at all.

© – AFP 2018

Read: Lawyer reveals porn star passed lie detector test about alleged affair with Trump

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Robert Bell
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    May 1st 2023, 10:43 PM

    fantastic tournament, well played luca.

    277
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    Mute Mickey Fennessy
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    May 1st 2023, 10:50 PM

    Best tournament in years. Brecel and si were unreal

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    Mute Jb Walshe
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    May 1st 2023, 10:39 PM

    Thoroughly deserved the win

    168
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    Mute mark mc cann
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    May 1st 2023, 10:51 PM

    Fantastic Final …. and Mark Selby’s 147 yesterday was brilliant, Well done Luca enjoy your year !!!

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    Mute Thom Thumb
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    May 1st 2023, 10:50 PM

    Luca an Si the two hero’s of the tournament

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    Mute Charlie Brown
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    May 1st 2023, 10:30 PM

    Amazing, credit to Shelby, what a warrior. Luca could go on to win many world titles…. Though he could just disappear into the night.

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    Mute Liam
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    May 1st 2023, 11:47 PM

    Snooker final a brilliant sporting event to watch, always brings drama. What a match well done Luca fully deserved.

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    Mute Liz Hennessy
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    May 1st 2023, 11:25 PM

    Brilliant final. Well done Luca You deserve it

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    Mute Tomaldo
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    May 2nd 2023, 1:25 AM

    @all devices: exactly, some people say ‘cos there’s no physical contact, it’s not a real sport, but u need a lot of skill and mental toughness to make the grade. Is it a sport or a game, who cares, I love it. Well done Belgian Bullet.

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    May 2nd 2023, 12:46 AM

    To those so called (snob) sports commentators who constantly run down snooker as a sport, F youuuu..!
    Great tournament. There’s a particular ‘sports’ show on radio which regularly states that unless you have to to change your shoes to participate ‘its not a sport’.

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    Mute Ted O'Donnell
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    May 2nd 2023, 12:13 AM

    Weii done

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    Mute Leonard Barry
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    May 2nd 2023, 12:46 AM

    Surprise winner.

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