Putin 'unconcerned' about US presidential election claims

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested he doesn't care about alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election because the actions were not connected to his government.

In an interview with NBC News, Mr Putin responded abruptly when asked if he condoned the interference that was alleged in last month's US indictment by special counsel Robert Mueller.

"It's all the same to me," he said when asked the question by NBC's Megyn Kelly. "To me, it absolutely makes no difference, because they do not represent the government (referring to US indictment by special counsel Robert Mueller)."

Putin also suggested that some of the 13 Russian nationals indicted by the United States may not be ethnically Russian.

He also insisted Russia had neither the tools nor the will to meddle in elections and complained that Washington had brushed off Russian initiatives to work together on cybersecurity issues.