Putin slams claims of Russian meddling in U.S. election as "hysteria"

PanARMENIAN.Net - President Vladimir Putin slammed as "hysteria" Thursday, October 27 claims that Russia has tried to interfere in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections by hacking U.S. political institutions including the Democrats behind frontrunner Hillary Clinton, AFP reports.

Russia has been accused of favouring Republican candidate Donald Trump -- who has praised Putin and called for better relations with Moscow -- over the more hawkish Clinton.

"The number of mythical, dreamt-up problems includes the hysteria -- I can't think of another word -- that has broken out in the United States about the influence of Russia on the current elections for the U.S. president," Putin said at a meeting of political scientists in Sochi.

"Does anyone seriously think Russia can somehow influence the choice of the U.S. people? Is the U.S. some kind of banana republic? The United States is a great power. Please correct me if I'm wrong," Putin said to laughter in the audience.

Washington last week formally accused the Russian government of trying to "interfere" in the 2016 White House race by hacking U..S political institutions, charges the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed.

Putin has vehemently rejected the accusations, saying they are meant to divert American voters from domestic problems.

"It's a lot easier to distract people's attention towards Russia's so-called hackers, spies, agents of influence and so on," Putin said, according to AFP.

The Kremlin strongman however adopted a hard line against cyber attacks, saying these are "unacceptable".