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Michael Flynn resigns as Trump's national security adviser

Claims published by the Washington Post earlier suggested Flynn had discussed the US anti-Russian sanctions with the Russian Ambassador in Washington Sergei Kislyak

Michael Flynn AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Michael Flynn

© AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

NEW YORK, February 14. /TASS/. Michael Flynn has resigned from the position of the U.S. president’s national security adviser, media reports said. The White House has confirmed the resignation.

Claims published by the Washington Post earlier suggested Flynn had discussed the US anti-Russian sanctions with the Russian Ambassador in Washington, Sergei Kislyak. The telephone consultations presumably took place a month prior to the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

The paper said some officials in the administration thought the talks between the would-be national security adviser and the Russian ambassador might have sent an irrational and theoretically incorrect signal to Moscow and the sanctions, which the Obama administration had introduced in the wake of the 2014 reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia, could be eased.

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Kremlin gives no comment on row involving Russian ambassador and Trump’s advisor

Earlier reports also said Trump was doing an assessment of the situation around the conversation between Flynn and Kislyak. However, the president’s senior adviser, Kellyanne Conway said he had full confidence in Flynn.

In his resignation letter provided by the White House, Flynn acknowledged that he had inadvertently provided US Vice President Mike Pence and others with "incomplete information" on his contacts with the Russian ambassador.

"Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologized to the President and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology," he said in the letter.

The Kremlin refuted the Washington Post’s allegations, with the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov saying that, to the best of his knowledge, the consultations between Flynn and Kislyak did take place but the right place to get a confirmation was the Russian Foreign Ministry. "As for the rest, the information is incorrect," he said.

The White House said in a statement Gen Joseph Keith Kellogg was named Trump’s acting national security adviser.

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Sanctions Donald Trump

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