Trump Calls Putin For One-Hour Discussion Including Dropping Of Charges Against Michael Flynn

President Donald Trump has said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an hour-long call, covering issues including the “Russian hoax.” White House officials confirmed the two also briefly talked about collusion as the election approaches.

“Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin,” Trump tweeted on Sunday. “We discussed Trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the ‘Russian Hoax.’ Very productive talk!”

Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia. As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019

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….We discussed Trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the “Russian Hoax.” Very productive talk!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2019

When a reporter asked whether Trump had told Putin not to interfere in this year’s election, he shot back that she was “very rude” and they “didn’t discuss that.”

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany contradicted this statement saying that it was “very, very briefly discussed.”

“Very, very briefly it was discussed, essentially in the context of that it’s over and there was no collusion, which I’m pretty sure both leaders were very well aware of long before this call took place,” Sanders said adding that the two leaders had mentioned former Special Counsel Robert Mueller‘s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The Mueller probe found that while Russia did interfere in the election, there was no evidence that the Trump campaign had colluded with the country.

She said the call was an “overall positive conversation.”

The hour-long call involved mainly discussions over foreign policy.

According to the White House, Trump said the U.S. “stands with the people of Venezuela” and emphasized that he wants to bring humanitarian aid to the politically tumultuous country. Russia is still supporting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The White House also said the leaders talked about the possibility of creating a new nuclear accord between the U.S., Russia and China or extending the current agreement between the U.S. and Russia, the 2011 New Start treaty that is set to expire in February 2021.

The Kremlin said that Putin told Trump to take responsibility for clashes with Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine, a conflict that was only exacerbated by the Trump administration approving lethal military aid to the struggling democracy.