Putin Demands U.S. Send ‘Hard Evidence’ Of Russian Meddling

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Putin asks US to send proof of election meddling

Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked Washington to send him hard evidence that Russian citizens meddled in the 2016 U.S. election. 

In a scathing attack directed at U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the Clinton campaign, Putin mocked the hysteria around Russian collusion, referring to the accusations as nothing more than “yelling and hollering in the United States Congress”.

Reuters reports:  “I have to see first what they’ve done. Give us materials, give us information,” Putin said in an interview with NBC TV aired late on Friday, according to an English voice-over of his words.

“We can not respond to that if they do not violate Russian laws,” Putin told NBC’s Megyn Kelly, when asked whether Moscow would take action against the named individuals.

Kelly listed some of the accusations of Russian interference made by Mueller’s office and other U.S. officials, including the spreading of false information online.

“With all due respect for you personally, with all due respect for Congress, you must have people with legal degrees, 100 percent you do,” Putin said smiling.

He said U.S. authorities should send Russia’s general prosecutor an official request.

“This has to go through official channels, not through the press or yelling and hollering in the United States Congress,” Putin said.

The broadcast came a day after Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons, in one of his most bellicose speeches in years, saying they could hit almost any point in the world and evade a U.S.-built missile shield.

Putin is standing in March 18 elections that polls indicate he should win easily.