Donald Trump says Putin ‘probably’ involved in poisonings, but 'it's not in our country'

Donald Trump has appeared to play down the significance of Russian president Vladimir Putin ordering assassinations in overseas countries other than America. 

The US president said in an interview that Mr Putin was “probably” involved in poisonings but when pushed further added that “it's not in our country”.  

The remarks come despite Britain, one of America’s closest allies, accusing the Kremlin of being behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, a Russian double agent, in the UK earlier this year. 

It is the latest example of Mr Trump adopting a softer position to the UK over the Salisbury poisoning, which left Mr Skirpal and his daughter hospitalised after exposure to the nerve agent novichok. 

Mr Trump did expel 60 Russian diplomats from America in a co-ordinated drive pushed by Theresa May, the Prime Minister, but he also initially questioned whether Russia was behind the attack. 

The US president was responding to criticism that he has not criticised Mr Putin enough in public during an interview with the CBS show 60 Minutes which was broadcast in full on Sunday. 

Asked if he agreed that “Vladimir Putin is involved in assassinations” and “poisonings”, Mr Trump responded:” Probably he is, yeah. Probably.”

Pushed on his use of the word “probably”, Mr Trump added: “But I rely on them, it's not in our country.” He later said that Russia “shouldn’t do it”. 

It was unclear exactly what incident Mr Trump has in mind during his response and the Skripal attack was not explicitly mentioned during the exchange. 

But the apparent playing down of the significance of Russian orchestrated poisonings in overseas countries – such as the Salisbury attack – is unlikely to bring confidence in Number 10. 

Elsewhere in the interview Mr Trump said he was “very tough” with Mr Putin, noting that he had given offensive weapons to Ukrainian forces fighting Russian-backed rebels.