Trump insists on approaching Russia but wants to reassure Republicans

Washington, Jan 7, 2017 (AFP) - Donald Trump insisted Saturday on his willingness to approach Russia, but at the same time appointed a former senator who faces sanctions from Moscow as the new director of intelligence. Should reassure those who fear that the president-elect will be condescending to the Russian government.

"Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing, only stupid or imbeciles would think it was bad," Trump said in a series of messages posted on Twitter this morning.

The position goes against that of many Republican legislators historically hostile to Moscow.

"We already have enough problems in the world to add another. When you are president, Russia will respect us much more than now, and our two countries may work together to solve some of the great problems of this world," Trump said.

But the president-elect's line of conduct remained difficult to define, since, at the same time as he expressed a desire to work with Russia, he announced the appointment of Dan Coats to the strategic post of National Director of Intelligence. Coats are subject to sanctions by Russian authorities.

This designation is a sensitive subject for the populist millionaire leader, in full controversy with the US intelligence services involving the computer attacks attributed to Russia during the US presidential election last November.

Trump publicly expressed skepticism surrounding Russian interference, countering US intelligence agencies, which issued a report yesterday accusing President Vladimir Putin directly.

The Republican returned to the charge this Saturday, always on Twitter, denouncing the "serious negligence" of the Democratic Party, which he said allowed hacked thousands of electronic messages from leaders of that party.

- Forbidden to enter Russia - "The information very clearly indicates that there is absolutely no proof that hacker action interfered with the election results," Trump said.

The appointment of Dan Coats, 73, a Republican senator from Indiana at the end of his term, should reassure those who fear that the president-elect will be inconsistent with Russia.

Coats is one of six US senators and three high-ranking White House officials that Moscow banned in 2014 from traveling to Russia in response to US-sanctioned sanctions following the Crimean invasion.

The National Director of Intelligence, a post created after the September 11, 2001 attacks, coordinates the activity of the 16 US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI and NSA.

Dan Coats, who was a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, served as ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005, under George W. Bush.