White House considering Putin proposal to let Russia interrogate ex-US ambassador, financier

President Donald Trump will discuss allowing Russian investigators to come to the US to question American citizens, including a former ambassador to Russia, in exchange for assistance in the ongoing US probe into election interference, the White House has said.

President Vladimir Putin during a press conference with Trump in Helsinki on Monday proposed that special counsel Robert Mueller's team could travel to Russia to question 12 Russian intelligence officers charged with interfering in the 2016 presidential election, if Russia is allowed to interrogate some Americans.

The Americans wanted for questioning by Russia include Michael McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia from January 2012 to February 2014, and American-born financier Bill Browder, who lobbied the US government to impose new sanctions on Moscow.

Trump had described Putin's proposal as an "incredible" offer.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders yesterday indicated that no final decision had been made but that the proposal was under consideration.

"There was some conversation about it, but there wasn't a commitment made on behalf of the US, and the president will work with his team and we'll let you know if there's an announcement on that front, Sanders told reporters.

Russian prosecutors are seeking to interview McFaul and 10 other "U.S. officials and intelligence agents" in connection with their case against Browder.

Russian prosecutors accused the financier of laundering USD 1.5 billion through offshore accounts and donating USD 400,000 of that sum to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign