Russia’s Kislyak: Talks With Flynn ‘Absolutely Transparent’

Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the US speaks with reporters following his address on the Syrian situation, Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, at the Center for the National Interest in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
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Former Russian ambassador to the U.S., Sergei Kislyak, said his conversations with former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn had been “transparent” and focused on U.S.-Russia cooperation.

“We only spoke about the most simple things … but the communication was completely correct, calm, absolutely transparent. In any case, there were no secrets on our side,” Kislyak said in a panel discussion broadcast by Russian state media, Reuters reported Saturday.

“There are a number of issues which are important for cooperation between Russia and the United States– most of all, terrorism. And that was one of the things we discussed,” he said.

Kislyak’s comments come after he was recalled back to Russia last month after spending nine years as his country’s ambassador to the U.S.

Flynn was forced out of President Donald Trump’s administration in February after it was revealed that he failed to disclose conversations he had with Kislyak about U.S. sanctions with Russia before Trump was inaugurated.

While he is no longer in Washington, Kislyak remains a key focus of the U.S. probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

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Notable Replies

  1. Mostly simple things? If they are so transparent lets see the tapes.

  2. "In any case, there were no secrets on our side,”
    “We told him we wanted the Arctic and he agreed”

  3. Oddly, Kislyak denies in the interview that the topic of sanctions came up. Flynn, of course, was fired for misleading Pence by telling him they did not discuss sanctions. So either Kislyak is not telling the truth, or Flynn was fired for some other reason, or the reports that intercepts suggested Flynn did discuss sanctions are wrong. Adding to this weird brew is Trump saying he would have told Flynn to discuss sanctions if he hadn’t!

  4. Russia is beginning to hit the panic button. Their election meddling and their quid pro quo with the Trump campaign is all starting to unravel.

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