US President Donald Trump has reaffirmed that there was "absolutely no collusion" with Moscow, when asked by reporters about the charges brought by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller against his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn as part of the so-called Russia probe.
According to the US president, Flynn's actions during the transition period were "lawful," while "there was nothing to hide."
I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 2 декабря 2017 г.
The statement comes after Michael Flynn pleaded guilty on Friday to charges that he made false statements to the FBI about his contacts with then-Russian ambassador to the US Sergei Kislyak. The move was initially portrayed as one the most important turns in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into the Trump team’s alleged "collusion" with Russia, a clam repeatedly denied by the US president and Moscow.
Commenting on charges against Flynn, White House lawyer Ty Cobb said that the general's guilty plea doesn't implicate anyone else.
Following the plea, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the results of the investigation – no matter how far it could go – will not trigger Trump’s impeachment, however, ABC News reported that Flynn is allegedly ready to testify that the US president "directed him to make a contact with the Russians," with no official confirmation following.
READ MORE: Flynn Pleads Guilty to Lying to FBI, Denies Accusations of Treason as 'False'
Previously, Sergei Kislyak, who finished his mission as the Russian envoy to the US this summer, emphasized that during his meeting with Michael Flynn, the parties discussed issues solely important to Russian-US cooperation, mainly the fight against terrorism.
READ MORE: 'It's His Job': Putin Aware of Content of Ambassador Kislyak's Talks With Flynn
Flynn is the fourth member of the Trump campaign to face charges in the ongoing Russia probe, which has been called a "witch hunt" by President Donald Trump, with former campaign manager Paul Manafort and his business associate Rick Gates placed under house arrest over charges on 12 counts, including tax evasion, and former foreign policy adviser George Papadopolous, who had admitted lying to the FBI over a meeting with a London-based professor, who allegedly promised to put him in contact with people allegedly possessing "dirt" on Hillary Clinton.
