US harmed by 'invention' of Trump collusion, says Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed allegations of collusion between Russia and United States President Donald Trump's election campaign team.

"It was all invented by people opposed to Trump to make him seem illegitimate. These people are inflicting damage to their domestic political situation, incapacitating the president and showing a lack of respect to the electorate," the Russian president said on Thursday in response to a question about repeated contacts between members of the US president's campaign and Russian officials or proxies, during his annual press conference in Moscow.

The Irish Times also reported Putin railing at US politicians for demonising Russia and then expecting it to help on issues such as the North Korean nuclear programme.

Putin also announced he would run in the 2018 presidential election as an independent candidate while hoping for support from the political 'forces sharing his views on the country's development.'

"This will be a self-nomination. I expect to have support of those political forces (parties and public organizations) that share my view on the country's development and trust me. I certainly expect this very much," Russian news agency TASS reported Putin, as saying.

"I expect a widespread support of the Russian citizens," he added.

Putin further said that both - Trump and North Korea supreme leader Kim Jong-un - needed to 'calm down' in order to resolve the worsening crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

The Russian premier blamed American policy for creating the current crisis, as reported by express.co.uk.

Putin said he hoped 'common sense will prevail' even as Trump and Kim continue to trade personal insults and threats of nuclear war. 

-ANI