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Kremlin knows nothing about any alleged "damaging material" on Trump

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the US authorities seized the buildings of the Russia’s consulate-general in San Francisco

VLADIVOSTOK, September 6. /TASS/. The Kremlin knows nothing about any alleged "damaging information" on US President Donald Trump, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Wednesday.

Asked by the media to comment on speculations by the Director of the Russian Institute of Contemporary Economics, Nikita Isayev, it might be possible to use "damaging information" on Trump in handling the problem of Russian diplomatic property in the United States, Peskov answered in the negative.

"I would be unable to offer any comment," he said. Peskov recalled that "the president explained his opinion on likely retaliatory measures (in response to US actions regarding Russian diplomatic property) at a news conference in China.

"I have know idea what sort of information harmful to Trump Mr. Isayev may have up his sleeve. The Kremlin knows nothing about that," Peskov said.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday Putin said he would issue instructions to the Foreign Ministry to take the case over the seizure of Russian diplomatic property in the United States to a US court.

"As far as the buildings and facilities (of the Russian diplomatic mission in the United States) are concerned, the affair is utterly unprecedented. The US side has stripped Russia of the right to use its property. That’s obvious violation of Russia’s property rights. For a start I will instruct the Foreign Ministry to go to court. Let’s see how the well-reputed US judicial system works," Putin said.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that the US authorities seized the buildings of the Russia’s consulate-general in San Francisco and trade mission in Washington, though both are Russian property and enjoy diplomatic immunity. Russian officials have been banned from the leased offices of the Russian trade mission in New York. Moscow regards the takeover of Russian diplomatic property in the United States as an openly hostile act and urges the US authorities to return the diplomatic facilities without delay.