Russia Says It Was in Contact With Trump's Team During Campaign

Russia said it was in contact with President-elect Donald Trump's team during the U.S. election campaign, despite repeated denials by the Republican candidate's advisers that any links existed.

"There were contacts" before the election, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Thursday, according to the Interfax news service. "We continue this work of course," he said, without giving details of what the contacts were.

Russian embassy staff met with members of Trump's campaign, which is "normal practice," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Bloomberg. Democratic Party contender Hillary Clinton's campaign refused similar requests for meetings, she said.