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The United State's National Security Adviser says he is not concerned by reports that President Donald Trump's son-in-law and chief advisor, Jared Kushner, wanted to establish back channel communications with Russia.
Key points:
- HR McMaster says back channel communications normal
- Says US has discreet lines of communication with "a number of countries"
- Kushner reportedly a focus of probe into Russian interference in 2016 election
US media have reported that Mr Kushner proposed a secret line of communication between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a meeting with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislyak, in December.
That line of communication was reportedly proposed to facilitate sensitive discussions aimed at exploring the incoming administration's options with Russia as it was developing its Syria policy.
Today, White House officials shifted uncomfortably when they were asked about the reports during a press conference in Italy where Mr Trump is attending the G7 Summit.
They refused to address the contents of Mr Kushner's meeting with the Russian diplomat, which was not acknowledged by the White House until March — at the time a White House official dismissed it as a brief courtesy meeting.
However, they did not dismiss the idea that the administration would go outside normal US government and diplomatic channels for communications with other countries.
"We have back channel communications with any number of countries," US National Security Advisor Herbert Raymond 'HR' McMaster said.
"Generally speaking about back channel communications, what that allows you to do is to communicate in a discreet manner so it doesn't predispose you towards any sort of content of that conversation or anything," he said.
"So, no I would not be concerned about it."
In response to repeated questions from reporters, Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn said: "We're not going to comment on Jared. We're just not going to comment".
Mr Kushner reportedly became a focus of the federal probe into the Kremlin's alleged interference into last year's election earlier this year.
He was a trusted Trump adviser last year, overseeing the campaign's digital strategy, and remains an influential confidant within the White House as does his wife, Ivanka Trump.
ABC/wires
Topics: donald-trump, world-politics, government-and-politics, united-states, russian-federation
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