--- title: Trump Campaign Had 18 Undisclosed Russia Contacts: Report description: Citing unnamed current and former U.S. officials, Reuters says the contacts took place in the last 7 months of 2016's presidential race. canonical: https://time.com/4783889/trump-russia-contacts-campaign/ author: TIME Staff article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-18T09:57:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:03:07.355Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Campaign Had 18 Undisclosed Russia Contacts: Report og:description: The report is being made by Reuters, citing unnamed U.S. officials og:url: https://time.com/4783889/trump-russia-contacts-campaign/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4343891bd8d2b7fb/6988cdd6ab6d77711a6ae287/ap_17130603950688.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: United States Russia og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Campaign Had 18 Undisclosed Russia Contacts: Report twitter:description: The report is being made by Reuters, citing unnamed U.S. officials twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4343891bd8d2b7fb/6988cdd6ab6d77711a6ae287/ap_17130603950688.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Trump Aides Had '18 Undisclosed Contacts' With Russians During the Presidential Campaign, Report Says > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=fb429818-ab00-4d42-a956-21e2228bf2cd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: In His Words: Donald Trump on Russia [Watch (HLS stream): In His Words: Donald Trump on Russia](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xFwMpNTD.m3u8) (1:52)  _Published 2017-02-15. Trump’s ties with Russia have become the focus of attention after Michael Flynn’s resignation as National Security Advisor_ by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff May 18, 2017 9:57 AM UTC by [TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff May 18, 2017 9:57 AM UTC The news agency Reuters says that it has been told by current and former U.S. officials that Michael Flynn and other Trump campaign advisers had contact with Russian officials, or those “with Kremlin ties,” in the form of [at least 18 phone calls or emails](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-contacts-idUSKCN18E106) during the last seven months of 2016’s presidential election. The unnamed officials are said by Reuters to be “familiar with the exchanges,” which were previously undisclosed but are now being reviewed by the FBI and the Senate and House intelligence committees. According to Reuters, six of the exchanges were between Sergey Kislyak, Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S., and Flynn. The news agency says its sources did not see evidence of wrongdoing or collusion in the communications “reviewed so far,” but speculated that their disclosure could put president Donald Trump under even greater pressure to provide a fuller account of “interactions with Russian officials and others with links to the Kremlin” during the presidential race. Read the full Reuters report [here](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-contacts-idUSKCN18E106). ## Transcript As far as Putin is concerned, I think Putin has been a lot stronger leader for Russia. I mean. he's been a lot stronger than our leader, that I can tell you. [ MUSIC ] Putin says' Trump is great. And Trump not. No no Putin. Now I don't know Putin. Well, we did do 60 minutes together. Now we weren't together but he was on, I was on the same night. We got great ratings by the way. [ MUSIC ] He's running this country and at least he is a leader. You know, unlike what we have in this country . >> But again, he kills journalist that don't agree with him. Well, I think our country does a plenty of killing also, Joe, so you know. I don't think anybody knows it was Russia that broke into the DNC. She's saying Russia, Russia, Russia. But I don't Maybe it was. I mean, it could be Russia, but it could also be China. It could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, okay? [ CROSSTALK ] No idea whether it's Russia, China, or anybody else. I am not quoting myself. She has no idea. I am quoting 17 intelligence. Hillary you have no idea. Do you doubt? Our country has no idea. She doesn't like Putin because Putin has outsmarted her At every step of the way. [ MUSIC ] As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, but I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people. Will I get along with him? I have no idea. He's a killer, though. It's very possible I won't. Putin's a killer. A lot of killers, we got a lot of killers. 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