US President Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he had the “absolute right” to share information with Russia amid a row over classified material.
"As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining... to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism," Trump said on Twitter.
Screenshot of Trump's tweets.
Trump’s Twitter message comes amid speculation that he shared material with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russia's ambassador to Washington Sergey Kislyak during a meeting in the Oval Office last week.
A report published by the Washington Post on Monday said Trump revealed top secret information about an ISIL plot during the meeting, that had been obtained from a US ally and was not meant to be shared with Russia.
Although the US president has the right to declassify information, Trump's move has prompted fears it could endanger a crucial source of intelligence and has attracted criticism from Democrats and even Republicans.
President Donald Trump (L) of the United States shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) as they meet for talks in the Oval Office at the White House. /VCG Photo
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov meanwhile called reports of Trump's alleged revelations "nonsense," saying it was "not an issue for confirming or denying."
The news broke out just one week after Trump fired former FBI director James Comey, who was in charge of investigations into links between Trump's campaign and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Related stories:
