THE BEST LAID PLANS OF DONALD AND VLAD...:

[Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov] decried the "hysteria" of the US political debate, and said it is hampering efforts to establish warmer relations.

"We consider it a real danger for the future of our bilateral relationship and we sincerely want to see this hysteria coming to its logic end," the Kremlin spokesman said.

Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn was forced to step down when it was revealed that he misled colleagues about his meetings with the Russian ambassador.

More recently, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from election-related investigations when it emerged that he too had met the Russian ambassador on two occasions, despite having told lawmakers at his Senate confirmation hearing otherwise.

Speaking on a different CNN program Sunday, Republican Senator John McCain, a top Trump critic, called for greater "scrutiny" in dealing with Russia.

"There's a lot of aspects with this whole relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin that requires further scrutiny, and so far I don't think the American people have gotten all the answers," McCain said.

"In fact, I think there's a lot of shoes to drop from this centipede." 

Tweet   @brothersjudd