MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Kremlin regrets the obsession with the "Russian factor" which is being maintained in the United States, and hopes it will pass soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
"We live in Russia and we have our own agenda. We have many international issues with which Russia is dealing, we have many issues and achievements inside the country which are of high priority for us. Of course, this emotional, let’s say, obsession with the ‘Russian factor’ which is zealously kept afloat in the United States. This is regrettable, but we understand that it is necessary to be patient, we hope that the obsession will pass soon," Peskov told reporters when asked of Russia’s views on the recent events in the United States.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held meetings with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Trump in Washington and said that the Russian and US presidents would hold a meeting during the G20 summit in Hamburg, which will take place on July 7-8.
On Tuesday, Trump fired Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey for his mishandling of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails investigation, which was detailed in a review composed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Meanwhile, US media reported, citing unnamed sources, that the dismissal of the FBI director was allegedly linked to the fact that Comey was seeking funding to extend the bureau’s inquiry into links between Russia and Trump and Russian alleged meddling in the 2016 election.
Russian officials have repeatedly denied charges of interfering in the US elections, saying the allegations are absurd and represent an attempt to divert the US public’s attention from revealed instances of corruption as well as other pressing domestic issues.
Almost half of US citizens said Comey's dismissal was connected with the probe, a poll shows.
