US 2020 Elections: Bernie Sanders has a message for Putin, as Russian meddling resurfaces

Democratic presidential frontrunner Bernie Sanders had a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin as reports of Kremlin meddling in the 2020 US Presidential race emerged. In his message, the socialist warned Moscow to step away from the US electoral system, after he was told by the intelligence community of the Russian collusion. 

"The intelligence community is telling us they are interfering in this campaign, right now, in 2020. And what I say to Mr. Putin, if elected president, trust me you are not going to be interfering in American elections," Sanders told US media on Friday.  "We were told that Russia, maybe other countries, are going to get involved in this campaign. Look, here is the message to Russia- stay out of American elections. That is what they did in 2016 and that is the ugliest thing they are doing, is they are trying to cause chaos, they are trying to cause hatred in America." he added.

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The 78-year-old frontrunner, who was speculated to win the Nevada caucuses, took a dig at billionaire Jeff Bezos owned Washington Post over the timing of the news report. "I'll let you guess about one day before the Nevada Caucasus, why do you think it came out? It was the Washington Post? Good friends."  

On Friday, the Washington Post citing the concerned people reported that Bernie Sanders was told by US officials about the Russian meddling a month ago. They further reported that even US President Donald Trump and other US lawmakers were informed.  Sanders drew flak from the critics on social media for not mentioning the possible Moscow meddling in the US 2020 Presidential election for a month.

Russia denies meddling 

Kremlin on Friday rebuffed the claims of interference in the US Presidential campaign, with the motive to re-elect Donald Trump. "These are more paranoid announcements which, to our regret, will multiply as we get closer to the (US) election. They have nothing to do with the truth," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. 

The US intelligence community said that the Putin administration was using cyberattacks to support Trump's re-election. Meanwhile, Facebook has remained silent over the supposed Russian meddling. In 2016, Robert Mueller's report, the probe headed by the Special Counsel found no Russian interference in Trump's campaign, which was often disdained as a mere "witch hunt" by the US President. 

In 2017, the US intel agencies had said that Putin himself ordered the campaign to influence the 2016 US Presidential elections and had a "clear preference for President-elect Trump," the assessment was often argued by Republicans.

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WATCH: US President Donald Trump, with a smile, asks Vladimir Putin to not 'meddle' in the 2020 US Presidential elections.