In an interview with Fox News, US President Donald Trump backtracked on his earlier statements, stressing that he would "absolutely" report any sensitive information on his opponents to the attorney general or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) if he were to receive such data from a foreign power.
Trump's previous statement on the issue was slammed by his opponents, as well as some Republicans.
Relations between the FBI and the US president remain tense, as Trump accused the agency of conspiring against him during the 2016 election. According to Trump, the FBI made 11 payments to the "fake dossier's discredited author", Christopher Steele, who claimed that the politician had participated in activities that could make him vulnerable to alleged Russian blackmail attempts.
Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations of interfering in US politics, stressing that there is no proof to support the allegations, calling them politically-motivated.