Trump tells Russia Today Kremlin "probably" not meddling in White House race

Donald Trump told a Kremlin-funded television station on Thursday that it was "probably unlikely" that the Russian government was exerting any influence on the US presidential election.

The Republican candidate argued in a televised debate in front of US army veterans that Russian president Vladimir Putin was more of a leader than current US president Barack Obama, after Putin had previously praised the New York tycoon.

The latest comments from Trump were made on RT America as sceptics have floated the idea that the Kremlin was attempting to sway the result of the upcoming election.

"I think it's probably unlikely. Maybe the Democrats are putting that out - who knows," Trump told Larry King during the interview.

"If they are doing something, I hope that somebody's going to be able to find out so they can end it. Because that would not be appropriate at all."

Rival Hillary Clinton had criticised Trump for praising Putin on Wednesday, and this will only further exacerbate the school of thought that Trump has ties to Russian interests.

A spokesman for the Republican nominee said that he wouldn't have done the interview if he had known where it would be broadcast, saying that King had told him it would be used for a podcast.

"Mr. Trump was never told it would be shared anywhere else," Jason Miller said.