Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will “never” extradite the individuals indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections.
During an interview with NBC’s Megyn Kelly, Putin said the indicted individuals “do not represent the Russian state” and that he doesn’t know what they did or what they were guided by.
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Asked by Kelly if he would extradite them, Putin said no.
“Never. Never. Russia does not extradite its citizens to anyone, just like the United States,” Putin said. “Does the United States extradite its citizens to anyone?”
Special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russians and three Russian groups last month as part of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Without cooperation from the Russian government, it is impossible to bring the suspected hackers to trial in the U.S.
“We [in] Russia cannot prosecute anyone if they have not violated Russian law,” Putin told Kelly. “Give us a document, give us an official request.”
Kelly reminded him that he told her the same thing last time she interviewed him but now there is an indictment.
“This has to go through official channels,” Putin responded. “Not through the press or yelling and hollering in the U.S. Congress.”