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Russia's Putin Says He 'Sympathized' With Trump Before US Election

Reuters

   MOSCOW --Russian President Vladimir Putinsaid he had "sympathized" with
   Donald Trump before the 2016presidential election that swept Trump to
   power because of hisdesire to restore normal relations with Russia.

   In an interview with U.S.filmmakerOliver Stone dated June19 and
   published on the Kremlin website Friday, Putin alsosaid that any
   alleged Russian hackers were still not able toinfluence the vote's
   outcome.

   The Russian president reiterated that he had not and wouldnot interfere
   in U.S. elections.

   The Moscow-Washington ties have long been strained by U.S.intelligence
   and law enforcement findings, denied by theKremlin, that Russia tried
   to influence the results of the 2016U.S. presidential election to boost
   Trump's chances of winningthe White House.

   U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies say Russiaused
   disinformation and other tactics to support Trump's 2016campaign. Putin
   has denied it.

   "And whichever our bloggers -- I don't know who works therein the
   internet -- had expressed their point of view on thesituation in the
   USA in this or that way, this had not been ableto play a decisive role.
   This is nonsense," Putin said.

   "But we had sympathized with him [Trump], because he saidthat he wanted
   to restore normal relations with Russia. What'sbad in this? And of
   course, we couldn't unwelcome such aposition."

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