Michael Flynn
Advisor to the President of the United States Donald trump on national security, Michael Flynn, resigned. On Monday, February 13, CNN reported, citing sources in the White house.
In his statement on the dismissal Flynn pointed out that “not fully informed Vice-President Mike Pence and others on your conversations with the Russian Ambassador”. “I sincerely apologized to the President and Vice President, they accepted my apology,” — said in a statement.
Trump accepted the resignation of Flynn. Acting in this position appointed retired General Joseph Keith Kellogg.
According to one source channel, the candidates for the post of adviser to the President on national security are former CIA Director David Petraeus and Vice Admiral Robert Harward.
Earlier, on 13 February, the Washington Post (WP) reported that Flynn is in danger of losing the confidence of colleagues after publications that he tricked high-ranking administration officials, discussed the sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak and trying to keep silent about it.
Previously, trump said that he has no information about conversations Flynn Kislyak, and promised to investigate the matter. White house spokesman Sean Spicer, in turn, said that trump is “full trust” of Flynn.
February 9, WP reported that Flynn in December 2016 discussed with the dubious anti-Russian sanctions. Advisor trump tried to persuade Russia “not to overreact” in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the outgoing President Barack Obama. However, he made it clear that after the inauguration of the trump Moscow and Washington will be able to discuss the revision of restrictions.
In January it became known that Flynn and Kislyak five times and talked on the phone 29 Dec — the day of the introduction of new anti-Russian sanctions by the Obama administration. Then the U.S. authorities took the decision within 72 hours 35 to expel Russian diplomats, as well as close access to two objects used by them. The White house claim that such measures were “a response to the oppression of the American diplomatic representatives in Moscow from the Russian authorities.”
In addition, Obama has imposed sanctions against the FSB, the GRU, other organizations and six individuals, citing the cyber attacks on the electoral system of the United States from Russia.
Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of meddling in the electoral campaign in the United States. In the Kremlin these charges are consistently rejected.