MOSCOW, November 14. /TASS/. The Kremlin has had no contacts with the team of the US president-elect, Donald Trump, because such contacts will be possible only after the inauguration ceremony, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told the media.
"Trump has not taken office yet. The United States has the incumbent president and the Russian side works with him," Peskov said.
He pointed out he had never mentioned any contacts between Trump’s team and the Kremlin.
"I did say, though, that both experts, political scientists and staff of Russia’s offices abroad maintained contacts with the whole spectrum of the political elite on the regular basis. That’s standard practice," he said, adding he had never heard Trump had visited Moscow after his nomination as a presidential candidate.
Peskov said Trump’s team "is still being formed" and it was "too early to say anything" about expectations regarding a future US Administration. Pskov warned against trying to anticipate events.
"Judgement should be made on the basis of certain steps and decisions by a future Administration," he said.
Peskov stressed that the Kremlin had no contacts with anyone in the US president-elect’s entourage. During his trip to the United States Peskov had no meetings with any politicians close to Trump.
Commenting on the message from the Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Trump described as "beautiful," Peskov said it was "it was a message of greeting sent on the day the election results were made public."
"In this message Putin congratulated Trump upon his election victory," Peskov said. Its brief summary was published on the Kremlin’s website.
Putin's possible meetings with incumbent US president
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not scheduled to have separate contacts with outgoing US President Barack Obama, but they may meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru, Peskov said.
"There are no planned contacts with Obama now, but they are likely to meet in Peru on the sidelines of the same event - on the sidelines of the APEC (summit)," Peskov told reporters.
"Of course, if they [Putin and Obama] are together at one event, it cannot be ruled out that they could talk on the sidelines," he said.