President Vladimir Putin says Russia is the victim of false allegations and fabricated evidence in relation to hacker attempts to influence the outcome of US and European elections. Picture: AP /Alexander Zemlianichenko

But the Russian leader conceded the possibility that some “individual patriotic” hackers could have mounted some attacks amid the current cold spell in Russia’s relations with the West.

Speaking at a meeting with senior editors of leading international news agencies, Putin alleged that Russia itself was a victim.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during an interview in Paris earlier this week. In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, Putin reaffirmed his strong denial of Russia's involvement in the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails that yielded disclosures that proved embarrassing for Hillary Clinton's campaign. Picture: Alexei Nikolsky / Kremlin Pool via APSource:AP

He claimed evidence of hackers’ participation in attacks — he didn’t specify which — could have been rigged in an attempt to smear Russia.

“I can imagine that some do it deliberately, staging a chain of attacks in such a way as to cast Russia as the origin of such an attack,” Putin said. “Modern technologies allow that to be done quite easily.”

It’s a claim he will no doubt be questioned on again when he sits down with US NBC News reporter Megyn Kelly for a one-on-one interview tomorrow.

ESPIONAGE INVESTIGATIONS

US intelligence agencies have accused Russia of hacking into Democratic Party emails, helping President Donald Trump’s election victory, and the Congressional and FBI investigations into the Trump campaign’s ties with Russia have shattered Moscow’s hopes for a détente with Washington.

Asked if Russian hackers could try to shape the outcome of German parliamentary elections later this year, Putin said: “We never engaged in that on a state level, and have no intention of doing so.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he doubts hackers have the power to influence election outcomes. Picture: Alexei Nikolsky / Kremlin Pool via AP)Source:AP

He noted that Russia can work constructively with any German leader, adding that he had good ties with German Chancellor Angela Merkel despite some differences.

Russian meddling was also a concern in France, with Putin publicly expressing his sympathy for President Emmanuel Macron’s rivals in the campaign. Macron’s aides claimed in February that Russian groups were interfering with his campaign, and a document leak hit Macron’s campaign in the final hours of the French race.

HACKERS ‘POWERLESS’

Moscow has strongly denied all allegations of election meddling. Putin argued that hackers, wherever they come from, can’t sway election outcomes because the public mood cannot be manipulated that easily.

“I’m deeply convinced that no hackers can radically influence another country’s election campaign,” he said. “No hackers can influence election campaigns in any country of Europe, Asia or America.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin says evidence Russian hackers had been attempting to influence election outcomes had been ‘fabricated’. Picture: Alexei Nikolsky / Pool Photo via AP)Source:AP

Putin added that while the Russian state has never been involved in hacking, Russia-West tensions could have prompted some individuals to launch cyberattacks.

“If they have patriotic leanings, they may try to add their contribution to the fight against those who speak badly about Russia,” he said. “Theoretically it’s possible.”

ELECTRONIC COLD WAR

Russia’s relations with the West have been at post-Cold War lows over the Ukrainian crisis. The US and the EU have slapped Moscow with sanctions over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and support for pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Putin said Thursday that economic restrictions against Russia have had “zero effect.” He predicted that the current strain in relations will ease, because “it’s counter-productive and harmful.”

Touching on tensions in the Pacific, Putin said that Russia’s military deployments on a group of Pacific Islands also claimed by Japan have been caused by concerns about the US military build-up in the region.

The four islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the southern Kurils in Russia, were seized by the former Soviet Union at the end of the WWII, preventing the two countries from signing a peace treaty.

Putin said the US will likely continue to build up its missile shield in the region even if North Korea agrees to curb its nuclear and missile programs. He claimed this was similar to the way it continued to develop missile defences in Europe despite a deal with Iran that curbed its nuclear program in exchange for lifting international sanctions.