Michael Flynn: Donald Trump's national security adviser quits over ties to Russia

David Gardner14 February 2017

President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn quit last night over his alleged ties to Russia.

The military veteran’s shock departure comes as a massive setback to the Trump administration less than a month after the billionaire former reality star took office.

It is also certain to put the president’s connections with the Kremlin under new scrutiny as claims that the Russians tried to influence the outcome of November’s presidential election refused to go away.

Mr Flynn’s departure became inevitable after the President conspicuously refused to publicly support him when he came under fire for his alleged inappropriate contacts with a Russian diplomat.

The US Department of Justice had reportedly warned the administration weeks ago that the national security chief’s links to Russia had put him in a compromising position and left him open to blackmail.

US President Donald Trump has been in office less than a month 
AFP/Getty Images

Mr Flynn admitted to misleading Vice President Mike Pence over the affair.

He made several phone calls to the Russian Ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, before Mr Trump took office. It was suggested that Mr Flynn had contravened diplomatic protocol by discussing the rollback of sanctions brought by President Obama against Vladimir Putin’s government.

“Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador,” Mr Flynn wrote in his resignation letter.

“I have sincerely apologised to the president and the vice president, and they have accepted my apology.”

Mr Flynn insisted that his “numerous phone calls with foreign counterparts, ministers and ambassadors” before his official appointment were “standard practice.”

One of his calls to the Russian ambassador allegedly happened on the same day that President Obama applied sanctions against Moscow for their alleged interference in the presidential election.

No evidence has emerged that Mr Trump directed Mr Flynn to act or was even aware of what he was doing when he spoke to the Russians.

Last night, Mr Trump named retired General Keith Kellogg, who served as his campaign adviser, as acting national security adviser.

Mr Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general, had become a close confidante of Mr Trump despite serving in the Obama administration up until 2014.

But some aides worried about his extreme views over combating Islamic insurgents and pointed to his trip to Russia two years ago when he sat next to Mr Putin at a dinner for the Russian propaganda news network.

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