Access to Trump-Putin calls would need Russian consent – Kremlin

Russian caveat comes after US House Intelligence Committee vowed to get access to President Trump's calls with Russian President Putin and other world leaders, citing concerns Trump may have jeopardised national security.

This July 16, 2018 photo shows US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin  meeting in Finland.
AP

This July 16, 2018 photo shows US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting in Finland.

The Kremlin said on Monday that Washington would need Russian consent to publish transcripts of phone calls between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Congress is determined to get access to Trump's calls with Putin and other world leaders, the US House Intelligence Committee's chairman said on Sunday, citing concerns that the Republican president may have jeopardised national security.

Asked about those comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Russia would be prepared to discuss the issue with Washington if it sent Moscow a signal, but that such disclosures were not normal diplomatic practice.

"Of course their publication is to some extent only possible by mutual agreement of the parties. This is a certain diplomatic practice," Peskov said.

"To be more specific, perhaps, diplomatic practice, in general, does not envisage their publication. If there are some signals from the Americans, then we will discuss (them)."

Impeachment inquiry into Trump

The Democratic-led House last week launched an impeachment inquiry into Trump in the aftermath of a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump had solicited interference by Ukraine in the 2020 US election for his own political benefit.

The White House released a memo summarising Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy after the allegations set off a US domestic political storm.

'Arrest for treason'

On Monday, Trump railed against the Democratic lawmaker leading the impeachment probe, suggesting he be arrested for treason for depicting him as using mafia-like tactics.

Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, opened a congressional hearing last week by pretending to be the president speaking like a mob boss to pressure Ukraine's leader to probe rival Joe Biden.

The impersonation was intended to dramatise Schiff's contention that Trump's July 25 phone call to Volodymyr Zelensky was a classic mafia-like shakedown –– but has been widely criticised by conservative media.

Trump denounced it on Twitter as a "FAKE & terrible statement," saying Schiff "pretended it to be mine as the most important part of my call to the Ukrainian President, and read it aloud to Congress and the American people.

"It bore NO relationship to what I said on the call. Arrest for Treason?"

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