Donald Trump says he holds Vladimir Putin personally responsible for election meddling

Donald Trump has for the first time said he holds Vladimir Putin personally responsible for Russia’s alleged attempts to meddle in the US elections.

The president said the blame should be pinned on Mr Putin because “he's in charge of the country” as he battled to clarify his stance amid intense controversy following the leaders’ joint summit.

Mr Trump had been accused of failing to press the Russian leader over his nation's attempts to interfere in the US presidential election in 2016 and of siding with Mr Putin over the issue.

But asked on Wednesday if he holds Mr Putin personally responsible, President Trump told CBS: "I would, because he's in charge of the country."

During the interview on Wednesday, he added: “I let him know we can't have this. We're not going to have it and that's the way it's going to be."

It come after his meeting with Mr Putin in Helsinki on Monday and several shifting statements on whether he agreed with the findings of US intelligence agencies over meddling claims.

He backtracked spectacularly after claiming he did not see why Russia would have interfered.

Speaking at the the White House yesterday, the US president told reporters that he meant to say he did not see why Russia "wouldn't" be responsible.

He also said he accepts the American intelligence agencies' conclusion that Russia interfered in the presidential election.

He said: "I have felt very strongly that while Russia's actions had no impact at all on the outcome of the election, let me be totally clear in saying that - and I've said this many times - I accept our intelligence community's conclusion that Russia's meddling in the 2016 election took place.”

Mr Trump spoke a day after returning to the US to nearly universal anger over his performance at Russian President Vladimir Putin's side in Helsinki.

In the Finnish capital, Mr Trump did not condemn Russia's interference and refused to say he believes American intelligence agencies over Russia's denials of meddling.

In a press conference branded “disgraceful” back in the US, he stood alongside Mr Putin and praised his “strong and powerful” denial of election meddling.

Agencies contributed to this report.