President Putin says Democrats lost U.S. election on their own, asserts desire for positive relations with Trump

At annual year-end news conference, Putin says he hopes to have a constructive relationship with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Brushing off accusations that Russia interfered in U.S. elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that the Obama administration and the Democratic Party were attempting to blame their electoral failure on “external factors.
“The Democratic Party lost not only the presidential elections, but elections in the Senate and Congress. ... Is that also my work?” Putin said at his annual press conference. U.S. security officials have said Russian officials were behind the hacking and leaking of emails from the Democratic National Committee that supporters of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton have blamed for damaging her candidacy.

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