Kremlin Rejects Trump’s Election Interference Claim

July 17, 2026 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Arthur Novosiltsev / Moskva News Agency The Kremlin said Friday that it “firmly” rejects U.S. intelligence findings of Russia’s alleged efforts to interfere in American elections as President Donald Trump pushed for strict voting laws amid unsubstantiated claims of vulnerabilities in the electoral system. In a 25-minute speech at the White House on Thursday, Trump sought to cast doubts on the integrity of the U.S. electoral process by saying it was vulnerable to manipulation and interference from foreign powers like China, Iran and Russia. The American president announced the declassification of U.S. intelligence documents outlining the capabilities foreign governments have “to compromise U.S. election infrastructure.” In response to the allegations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “Russia has never interfered in the domestic affairs of other countries.” “And we expect that no one will attempt to interfere in ours,” Peskov said during a daily briefing on Friday. Peskov said Trump was citing “unattributed, unsubstantiated information” from U.S. intelligence agencies and claimed that American investigations into Russian electoral interference allegedly found no wrongdoing. China also rejected Trump’s claim that it had acquired data on around 220 million American voters, slamming it as “totally fabricated and a malicious smear.” Trump’s opponents have said his address on Thursday is an attempt to sow confusion ahead of the midterms in November that could deliver a heavy loss to Republicans as the war in Iran and economic issues weigh down on the U.S. president’s approval rating. Read more about: United States , Russian influence Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russia, China Conduct Strategic Bomber Patrol Near Alaska American and Canadian fighter jets were dispatched to escort the four strategic bombers as they flew near U.S. territory. 2 Min read U.S. Jails Russian Businessman for Smuggling Military-Grade Electronics Maxim Marchenko, who lived and operated several companies in Hong Kong, was arrested in September and pleaded guilty to smuggling and money laundering... 1 Min read U.S. Aid Agency Plans 'Framework' to Counteract Russia Influence Globally Mark Green said the USAID budget includes $584 million for this work. Russian Media Blames U.S. Diplomat for Embassy Incident, Despite Video ADD CORRECT TEXT