US Defense Secretary James Mattis has blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin as untrustworthy and “a slow learner,” blaming him for meddling in the latest US mid-term polls, recent seizure of Ukrainian warships in Russian waters, and even Washington’s pullout of a key arms-control treaty with Moscow.
Mattis also spoke of deteriorating relationship between Putin and the administration of US President Donald Trump during a Saturday interview at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in the state California, further claiming for the first time that Russian operatives have again attempted to interfere in the American elections last month.
“There is no doubt the relationship has worsened. He (Putin) tried again to muck around in our elections this last month,” Mattis insisted, adding: “We are seeing a continued effort around those lines.”
The US military chief also proclaimed that the Trump administration and other members of the US-led…