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| Mueller finds no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion |
Even though Mueller’s findings on obstruction of justice were inconclusive, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said in a summary released on Sunday that Mueller’s team had not found enough proof to warrant bringing charges against Trump.
It marked a political victory for Trump. He quickly claimed “complete and total exoneration”, while his Democratic opponents expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome and vowed to continue congressional inquiries into his business and personal dealings.
The Kremlin said following the release of Barr’s summary that President Vladimir Putin was ready to improve ties with the United States but was up to Washington to make the first move.
“In this case, the ball is absolutely in their court. It was given to Trump in Helsinki,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters on Monday, referring to a summit between Putin and Trump in the Finnish capital in July 2018.
Peskov repeated Moscow’s denial of any interference in U.S. elections and internal affairs or those of any other country.
“...It’s hard to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if there is no cat,” Peskov said.
Mueller’s 22-month investigation ended with a finding that no one in Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated with the Russian government”, according to Barr’s four-page summary of the confidential report.
The long-awaited report into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russian efforts to help him defeat his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, marked a milestone in his presidency as he prepares for his 2020 re-election battle.
Trump has described the Mueller inquiry as a “witch hunt”, saying there was no collusion with Russia and denying he obstructed justice. He is certain to use the report to attack his Democratic opponents in the 2020 race.
“This was an illegal takedown that failed,” Trump told reporters on Sunday. “It’s a shame that our country had to go through this.”
