CIA Ex-Chief on Donald Trump
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the assumption of former CIA Director John Brennan that Russian President Vladimir Putin had resorted to the "intimidation" of US President Donald Trump has nothing in common with reality.
The statement comes after Brennan suggested in an interview with CNN on Sunday that Trump either was intimidated by Putin or "afraid" of him.
Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US Election campaign. Moscow has repeatedly said that no Russian link has been found in this case. This issue was touched upon by the two leaders during their brief meeting at the latest APEC summit.
Ukrainian Crisis
"Russian Presidential Aide Vladislav Surkov and US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker are continuing the traditional exchange of opinions in this situation … Of course, all issues are being discussed which are linked to this agenda," Peskov said when asked whether the mission would be discussed.
Meanwhile, Volker said earlier this month that he would meet Surkov on November 13.
For instance, in early September, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his support for sending peacekeeping observer mission to Ukraine's Donbass.
Russian President Annual Press Conference
Dmitry Peskov also said that Vladimir Putin's annual press conference will be held in December, as usual, but did not mention any exact date.
Putin began the practice of holding large annual news conferences during his first term as Russian president in 2001. So far Putin has held 12 news conferences, the latest one on December 23, 2016.
Putin's Address to the Federal Assembly Date
Moreover, the Kremlin has yet to set the date for Putin's annual address to the Federal Assembly, according to the Kremlin spokesman.
"We will inform you about the date in a timely manner," Peskov told reporters, commenting on reports about the possible postponement of the annual address.
In accordance with the Constitution, the Russian president addresses the Federal Assembly once a year, where he touches upon Russia's internal issues as well as Russian foreign policy.
The presidential address is attended by the members of the Russian State Duma and the Federation Council (the lower and upper houses of the legislature, respectively), as well as distinguished guests. In 2016, Putin addressed parliament on December 1.
