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US President Donald Trump told his top diplomat that the dispute over probes into links between his inner circle and Russia should not undermine US efforts to rebuild relations with Moscow, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday.
Speaking in New Zealand after a trip to Australia, Tillerson reiterated the US commitment to the Asia-Pacific region as global leaders have expressed growing mistrust over the Trump administration, which has withdrawn from key international agreements since taking office.
At home, Trump's administration has been plagued by questions over links to the Russian government. Tillerson said Trump told him to try to improve ties with Russia regardless of the US political backdrop.
"I can't really comment on any of that because I don't have any direct knowledge," Tillerson told a news conference in Wellington, when asked how worried he was that the US political crisis could take down the Trump administration.
"The president's been clear to me: do not let what's happened over here in the political realm prevent you from the work that you need to do on this relationship and he's been quite clear with me... that we might make progress. I'm really not involved in any of these other issues," he said after a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English.
US intelligence agencies concluded in January that Moscow tried to tilt the election campaign in Trump's favor, including by hacking into the emails of senior Democrats, a charge the Kremlin denies.
Trump has denied any collusion but the FBI and congressional probes into the Russia matter have dogged the early months of his presidency.
(REUTERS)
