The Kremlin confirmed Tuesday that a man who Russian media suggested was a U.S. spy extracted in 2017 had worked in President Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich PutinKremlin: Reported US spy worked in Putin’s office CIA source pulled from Russia had confirmed Putin ordered 2016 meddling: NY Times CNN reports US pulled spy from Russia amid concerns about Trump’s handling of intel MORE‘s office before he was fired, Reuters reports. 

CNN reported on Monday that the U.S. removed a spy from Russia in 2017 over concerns that President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump endorses Missouri GOP governor for 2020 election Republican Greg Murphy wins special election in NC’s 3rd District Dem senator calls for Pentagon watchdog to probe Air Force’s Trump resort stay MORE mishandled intelligence. The New York Times later reported that the spy played a major role in the CIA’s determination that Putin personally directed Russia’s interference operation in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. 

The White House, however, disputed the reports. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the man worked in the presidential administration, but was fired several years ago, according to Reuters. 

“His job was not at a senior official level,” Peskov said, adding that he could not confirm if the man was a spy. 

“I don’t know whether he was an agent. I can only confirm that there was such a person in the presidential administration, who was later sacked,” Peskov said. 

“All this U.S. media speculation about who urgently extracted who and saved who from who and so on — this is more the genre of pulp fiction, crime reading, so let’s leave it up to them,” Peskov added. 

Reuters, citing the Russian newspaper Kommersant, reports that the man disappeared with his wife and children on vacation in Montenegro in 2017 and is now reported to be living in the U.S. 

Click Here: gold coast suns 2019 guernsey