US President Donald Trump is said to be angry and his chief of staff frustrated over a leak of information saying Trump had been cautioned by advisers not to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin for winning an election widely seen as rigged.
Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he had congratulated Putin on his re-election and that the leaders made tentative plans to meet in the "not too distant future."
His overture to Putin was criticised by senators in his own Republican party, who called Sunday’s election a sham. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said there was a “lack of credibility in tallying the result.”
The Washington Post later reported that Trump did not follow specific warnings from his national security advisers about Putin, including a phrase in his briefing materials that said, "DO NOT CONGRATULATE."
A Trump confidant, who asked not to be named, said that Trump was angry about the leak and a White House official said Kelly was "frustrated and deeply disappointed."
Administration officials did not dispute the accuracy of the Post's report about the warning, but said it was unclear if the president had actually seen the memo and that his verbal briefing did not include the warning.
"If this story is accurate, that means someone leaked the president's briefing papers. Leaking such information is a fireable offense and likely illegal," said a senior White House official, who requested anonymity.
Trump's congratulating Putin has revived criticism that he has been too reluctant to criticise the Russian leader and retaliate for Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election that Trump won.
White House officials have said that Trump is less trusting of Putin because of Russian activities in Ukraine, Syria and elsewhere.
Last week, after initially equivocating about a chemical attack on a former Russian double agent in Salisbury, England, the White House joined a statement by the leaders of Britain, France and Germany in which they said they “abhor the attack” and blamed it on Moscow.
Moscow has denied any involvement in the poisoning.
The issue came up on Wednesday in a telephone call between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, who is scheduled to visit the White House in late April, according to a White House statement.
"The presidents reiterated their solidarity with the United Kingdom in the wake of Russia’s use of chemical weapons against private citizens on British soil and agreed on the need to take action to hold Russia accountable," it said.
