TRUMP LAWYERS FOR PUTIN; SEES NO PROOF OF RUSSIA ROLE IN NAVALNY CASE

US President Donald Trump said he has not yet seen any direct evidence of Russian state involvement in the suspected poisoning of dissident Alexei Navalny, which he called "horrible," but also said he does not doubt the German assessment.

German authorities say toxicology tests have revealed that Navalny, who is currently comatose in a Berlin hospital, has been poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok.

"Based on what Germany is saying that seems to be the case," Trump said at a press conference Friday at the White House. "I would be very angry if that's the case." Separately, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun met with Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov to express "grave concern about German government findings that Russian opposition leader Aleksey Navalny was poisoned by a chemical nerve agent." At the meeting in Washington, Biegun urged Russia to cooperate with an international probe.

Trump said he expected to soon receive documentation on the case which will allow for the US to make a determination. He said he understood the desire to take action against Russia, but also insisted he maintains a good relationship with President Vladimir Putin even as Russian media had been ridiculing him.