2. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, sitting at his desk
3. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia:
"Well, someone assigned the task of dragging through the mud and blackening reputations (of Russia and Trump), so if there hadn't been the Mueller report, they would continue to do it. They did it before the Mueller report, they did it a hundred years ago, so that's the task that is before them, and they had to solve it. But from a legal prospective, the American special counsel (Robert Mueller) finished the report and there is no proof of us meddling in the elections. That's the main thing. But they will continue to do something from other positions. Now, they'll accuse (Russia) of meddling in the Ukrainian elections, and the European parliament elections."
4. Poster featuring Zhirinovsky's face
5. Tilt up Liberal Democratic Party poster
6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia:
"In any case, there were the mid-term elections of Congress in November, there will be the election for the second (presidential) term in November next year and Trump has all the grounds to win and, during his second term, the relationship between Russia and the US maybe will improve. If these accusations are unsuitable against Russia, furthermore, they are unsuitable against Trump, he is the president. The FBI and the CIA could find something against him but they have found absolutely nothing for two years. Therefore, Trump is clean, and no one has the right to accuse us of anything related to the US presidential elections."
7. Liberal Democratic Party poster and photo of Zhirinovsky and Russian President Vladimir Putin
A Russian politician has said that the world no longer "has the right" to accuse Russia of interference in the US presidential elections.
Speaking to The Associated Press from his office in Moscow on Monday, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, said US President Donald Trump had the potential to win a second term and work to improve the relationship between Russia and the US.
"But they will continue to do something from other positions. Now, they'll accuse (us) of meddling in the Ukrainian elections, and the European parliament elections," the politician added.
His comments came after special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice.
That brought a hearty claim of vindication from Trump but set the stage for new rounds of political and legal fighting.
Still, 34 people, including six Trump aides and advisers, were charged in the investigation.
Twenty-five are Russians accused of election interference either through hacking into Democratic accounts or orchestrating a social media campaign to spread disinformation on the internet.
Russian authorities over the past months have portrayed the Mueller probe as a witch hunt against Trump and a tool of the Democratic Party to fan the flames of the anti-Russian sentiment in the U.S.
