Russian President Vladimir Putin says US President Donald Trump did not pass on any secrets to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Washington last week and he can prove it.
Speaking at a news conference alongside Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Wednesday, Putin quipped that Lavrov was remiss for not passing on what he made clear he believed were non-existent secrets.
"I spoke to him today," Putin said with a smile.
"I'll be forced to issue him with a reprimand because he did not share these secrets with us. Not with me, nor with representatives of Russia's intelligence services. It was very bad of him."
Putin, who said Moscow rated Lavrov's meeting with Trump "highly," said Russia was ready to hand a transcript of Trump's meeting with Lavrov over to members of Congress if it helped reassure them.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov later told reporters Moscow had a written record of the conversation but no audio.
Complaining about what he said were signs of "political schizophrenia" in the United States, Putin said Trump was not being allowed to do his job properly.
"It's hard to imagine what else can these people who generate such nonsense and rubbish can dream up next.
"What surprises me is that they are shaking up the domestic political situation using anti-Russian slogans.
"Either they don't understand the damage they're doing to their own country, in which case they are simply stupid, or they understand everything, in which case they are dangerous and corrupt."
Two US officials said on Monday Trump had disclosed highly classified information to Lavrov about a planned Islamic State operation, plunging the White House into another controversy.
Russia has repeatedly said anti-Russian US politicians are using groundless fears of closer ties with Moscow to sabotage any rapprochement and damage Trump in the process.
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