Mueller investigation into Trump-Russia links 'close to being completed', attorney general reveals

Robert Mueller’s Russia probe is “close to being completed,” the US attorney general has said in a rare update on the progress of the investigation.

Matthew Whitaker said he had been “fully briefed” on the situation but did not elaborate or give a timetable for the end of the probe, which has loomed large over the first two years of Donald Trump’s presidency.

The special counsel’s inquiries into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election and colluded with the Republican’s campaign have so far led to charges against 34 people, several of them close to Mr Trump.

However, no one involved the president’s election campaign has yet been charged with conspiring with the Kremlin to swing the vote.

Mr Whitaker’s impromptu comments came in response to a question at an unrelated press conference in Washington.

"The investigation is, I think, close to being completed, and I hope that we can get the report from director Mueller as soon as possible," he said on Monday.

The justice department rarely comments on the state of Mr Mueller’s investigation. Mr Whitaker's comments appeared to take officials by surprise, prompting a department spokeswoman to hastily draw the press conference to a close.

Mr Whitaker, who is seen as a close Trump ally, assumed oversight of the probe when he became acting attorney general following the departure of Jeff Sessions in November.

He has drawn criticism for not recusing himself from the Russia investigation, despite publicly criticising it in the past. A top justice department ethics official advised him to step aside out of an "abundance of caution," but Mr Whitaker declined to do so.

According to justice department regulations, Mr Mueller has to provide a report to the attorney general laying out his prosecution decisions at the conclusion of his investigation.

It is unclear what form the report will take, whether it will be released publicly, or if Mr Whitaker will still be in his position by the time the probe is completed.

Mr Trump has nominated William Barr to serve as the next attorney general. His confirmation hearing was held this month and he is currently awaiting a vote in the Senate.

Mr Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month that he wants to release as much information as possible about the special counsel’s findings.

The president insists his campaign did not collude with Russia, repeatedly complaining the investigation is a "witch hunt".

The evidence made public so far shows that a broad range of Trump associates had links to Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign, and several lied about their communication. Those contacts, according to Mueller's indictments and US intelligence agencies, occurred while the Russian government carried out a multifaceted effort to sway the election in favour of the Republican.

Last week Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of Mr Trump, became the sixth associate of the president to be charged by the special counsel’s team.

Mr Trump’s former national security adviser, campaign chairman, personal lawyer and two other campaign aides have also been charged.