In an interview with Emin Agalarov, the Russian pop singer and Trump friend whose publicist, Rob Goldstone, initiated the meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and Natalia Veselnitskaya during the 2016 campaign, CNN asks several questions about his connection to the president and why he is not cooperating with congressional investigators and the special counsel.
Agalarov canceled his North American tour to avoid having to answer questions in the Russia probe.
I think the main worry was because there was a current investigation going, and obviously I'm willing to give all the possible information that I have voluntarily, however, the other side might not be willing to give me that opportunity, and they're not even interested to speak to me, they just want to turn [unintelligible] meeting with a Russian-based artist and having had held the Miss Universe in Russia in 2013, given the Russian fever, this could have turned into a big circus, with me just getting stuck in the US, which I cannot afford doing, because just canceling these four shows in Canada and the US, this puts roughly a half-a-million-dollar burden on me financially, which is not very pleasant.
How were talks between your team and Robert Mueller's team and Congress going and why did they break down?
That's a question to my lawyer Scott Balber, he's been in contact with them and there seems to be no common ground at this point.
Your attorney, he told my colleague Kara Scanell that you wanted to tell your story and it sounds like you don't think you have anything to hide, you're willing to be transparent and talk about it, so what was the concern about sitting for an interview with them?
There is no concern about sitting for an interview with them. I'm completely prepared and ready to sit down and do any interview with anybody in the United States.
But there were terms you weren't able to agree with?
There were terms that until the investigation ends I might have to stay in the United States because obviously, I'm not ready to do because the issue has been going on for a year and a half, and might continue for another year, or half a year, and I'm just unable to stay in the US for that long.
(...)
When's the last time you've spoken with [President Trump]?
Before he ran for president.
What do your fans in Russia make of your connection to Trump and the whole Mueller investigation?
I think my fans in Russia find it strange, because everybody knows me in this part of the world as a music producer, as a guy who creates the biggest music events. I launched a radio station in Moscow, a musical TV channel, a musical award show. I do a lot of televised programs, and to consider me a spy is quite funny to everyone here.
And continuing on with Trump, do you know if President Trump knew in advance about the Trump Tower meeting in June 2016?
I have no idea.
And you've said about that meeting that someone asked your dad to set that up but you don't know who. Have you found out anything since then about who asked him to set that up?
No.
Is that something you're curious about at all? Have you asked your dad about it?
We haven't had a conversation about it recently.
Is it something you're curious about? Do you wonder who it was?
No, and I don't even care. I know that the outcome of the meeting was completely pointless, so obviously that's something investigators should be finding out and this is as much as I know and this is as much as I'm willing to share.
So your former publicist Rob Goldstone, he said in his email to Donald Trump Jr. that it was "puffed up" and the term "Crown prosecutor" was an exaggeration. Do you think, though, that he could have meant Russia's prosecutor general?
I have no idea. I know that I think "Crown prosecutor" is a title that does not exist at all in Russia, so obviously, that underlines the fact that Rob didn't know what he was talking about.
The lawyer, Natalia (Veselnitskaya), though, who did meet with Donald Trump Jr., she said that she worked with Russia's prosecutor general. Do you think that there could have been a confusion between those two titles?
You see, now the questions you're asking me are part of the investigation. I'd probably prefer to answer them once thoroughly to the investigators and not to a journalist from CNN or BBC.
Just another question about Rob Goldstone. He said he believes that Russia interfered in the 2016 campaign in the US. Do you agree with that?
I disagree with that, but anything is possible, I guess. But it's very funny sentences to present, because how could Russia interfere with an American election. Or America interfere with a Russian election. I mean, it's ridiculous. People vote, you know, what can you interfere with?
Note: The US intelligence community as well as the Senate and House Intelligence committees have all said Russia interfered in the 2016 campaign.
Have US sanctions against Russia been something that's affected your companies or your Vegas complex at all?
No, not at all.
Full interview: Q & A with the Russian pop star tied to Trump and why he canceled his North American tour (CNN)