Reuters - Russian President
Vladimir Putin said on Thursday American politicians were whipping up hysteria
about a mythical Russian threat in the U.S. presidential
campaign as a ploy to
distract voters from their own failings.
Putin,
addressing an audience of foreign policy experts gathered in southern Russia,
said he found it hard to believe that anyone seriously thought Moscow was
capable of influencing the Nov. 8 election.
The U.S.
government has formally accused Russia of a campaign of cyber attacks against
Democratic Party organizations, while Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has
accused Republican rival Donald Trump of being a Putin "puppet".
"Hysteria
has been whipped up in the United States about the influence of Russia over the
U.S. presidential election," said Putin, calling it a ruse to cover up for
the fact that the U.S. political elite had nothing to say about serious issues
such as the country's national debt or gun control.
"It's
much simpler to distract people with so-called Russian hackers, spies, and agents
of influence. Does anyone really think that Russia could influence the American
people's choice in any way? Is America a banana republic or what? America is a
great power."
Putin also
said certain forces in the West were trying to exaggerate the threat that
Russia posed in order to secure higher military spending and talk up their own
importance.
He said Russia
was not planning to attack anyone.
Reuters
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