US President Donald Trump is seeking “mutually beneficial” and “pragmatic” relations with Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday after meeting the US leader in the White House.

“President Trump clearly confirmed his interest in building mutually beneficial, business-like pragmatic relations,” Lavrov told journalists.

The Russian FM also said reports of Moscow meddling in US ‘fabrications’.

Earlier that day, Lavrov sarcastically acknowledged the abrupt dismissal of FBI director James Comey by saying ‘Was he fired? You’re kidding. You’re kidding’ as he posed on Wednesday for photographs with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Trump stunned Washington on Tuesday with his decision to fire Comey, whose agency is investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election and the possibility Trump associates may have colluded with Moscow.

The move provoked a storm of criticism among Democrats who said Trump was trying to blunt the FBI probe, and some of the president’s fellow Republicans also questioned the timing of the ouster. White House officials denied any political motive in the move by Trump, who took office on Jan. 20.

Lavrov met Tillerson at the State Department before he headed to the White House for talks with Trump.