Exit follows allegations of illegally discussing US sanctions with Russian ambassador Michael Flynn has resigned as Donald Trump’s national security adviser after misleading the White House about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to Washington, forcing the new president to once again address questions about his administration’s ties to the Kremlin. Mr Flynn, a retired general who was previously fired as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, had been under scrutiny ever since revelations he had spoken with the Russian envoy in the waning days of the Obama administration, which put fresh sanctions on Russia over alleged cyber attacks during the presidential race. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been investigating the conversations between Mr Flynn and Sergey Kislyak, and some US officials have expressed concern the retired general had privately signalled Mr Trump would reverse the sanctions or adopt a softer stance on Russia — directly undermining official US policy. Although conducting foreign policy while a private citizen is illegal under an obscure 18th century law, the White House’s confidence in the combative former intelligence officer appeared to turn after it emerged that Mr Flynn had misled Mike Pence, the vice-president, about his contacts with Mr Kislyak. Mr Pence went on national television to deny any discussions about sanctions had taken place after being reassured by Mr Flynn. “Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the vice-president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador,” Mr Flynn wrote in his resignation letter. “I have sincerely apologised to the president and the vice-president and they have accepted my apology.” The circumstances surrounding his departure raise anew uncomfortable questions for Mr Trump, who has been criticised for his accommodative stance towards Russian President Vladimir Putin. When a Fox News interviewer recently asserted Mr Putin was “a killer,” Mr Trump responded by asking whether “you think our country’s so innocent” — an assertion of moral equivalence that was attacked by both Democrats and Republicans. “Donald Trump has decided to surround himself for the most part with outsiders who are as ignorant about the federal government as he is,” said Timothy Naftali, a New York University presidential historian. “So it shouldn’t surprise people that his team doesn’t know how to run the executive branch.” Mr Flynn’s resignation marked the shortest tenure of a national security adviser since the position was established more than six decades ago. However, it is unclear whether the resignation will contain the scandal. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, issued a statement Monday evening questioning whether others in the White House had supported Mr Flynn’s approach to Mr Kislyak. “Flynn’s departure does not end questions over his contacts with the Russians,” Mr Schiff said. The Washington Post reported justice department lawyers had warned the White House last month that Mr Flynn’s misleading statements to Mr Pence and others made him vulnerable to blackmail by Russia, since Moscow would have known if sanctions were discussed on the call with Mr Kislyak. Mr Trump has not addressed questions about whether he was aware Mr Flynn discussed sanctions. Pressed by reporters on Air Force One on Friday, he said he had no knowledge of the controversy but that he would “look into” the case. Russian politicians said Mr Flynn’s exit did not bode well for the turnround in bilateral relations Moscow is hoping for. It was “kind of a negative signal for the establishment of Russian-American dialogue,” said Leonid Slutsky, head of the Duma’s foreign relations committee. “Even the readiness for dialogue with the Russians is seen as a thought crime by the hawks in Washington,” said Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of parliament. “Russophobia has infected even the new administration.” Alexei Pushkov, one of the most senior foreign affairs experts in the Russian parliament, called Mr Flynn’s exit the result of a “witch-hunt”. “The target was not Flynn, but relations with Russia,” he wrote on Twitter. “The next target will be Trump himself.” Mr Flynn will temporarily be replaced by Keith Kellogg, 72, another retired general who had been serving as chief of staff on the National Security Council. One official told the Financial Times that Mr Trump was considering three people for the permanent job: David Petraeus, a retired general and former head of the Central Intelligence Agency; retired Vice-admiral Robert Harward, a former Navy Seal and deputy commander of the US military’s Central Command; and Mr Kellogg himself. Like Mr Flynn, Mr Harward is a special operations veteran who had worked closely with units in Iraq and Afghanistan tasked with tracking and dismantling networks of radical Islamist fighters. While Mr Petraeus was viewed as one of the most respected generals of his generation — particularly for his role prosecuting the war in Iraq — he fell from grace during his time at the CIA after it emerged he had shared classified information with his mistress. Mr Flynn has attracted scrutiny since the campaign for his links to the Kremlin, drawing criticism from Democrats for accepting money from a Russian media outlet to speak in Moscow, particularly after he was filmed sitting next to Mr Putin at a dinner.  Mr Flynn’s discussions with Mr Kislyak took place as the Obama administration hit Moscow with sanctions over alleged Russian cyber attacks on the Democratic National Committee and the head of the Clinton team during the presidential election campaign. The US intelligence community has determined the hack was part of a broader effort to undermine the presidential campaign of Mr Trump’s rival, Hillary Clinton. “The worst part is that Flynn’s vulnerability — his cosiness with Putin and Russia — was well known to Trump before his appointment,” said Larry Sabato, a presidential historian at the University of Virginia. “So it’s a self-inflicted wound that underlines again the suspicions about Russia’s influence in Trump’s election and administration.”  Before Mr Flynn’s resignation, the scandal exposed splits within the White House throughout the day on Monday. Kellyanne Conway, a top adviser to Mr Trump, stated the president had “full confidence” in Mr Flynn, a statement publicly contradicted by Sean Spicer, the White House spokesman, who later said Mr Trump was “evaluating” the case. Mr Flynn resigned later in the evening. As the White House dealt with the Flynn scandal in recent days, it also faced criticism about the way Mr Trump had responded on Saturday when told that North Korea had fired a missile into the Sea of Japan. Images of the president and his staff discussing the issue in an open setting were posted on Facebook by a member of Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort where Mr Trump was hosting Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.  “There’s no excuse for letting an international crisis play out in front of a bunch of country club members like dinner theatre. #FireFlynn,” Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives said on Monday. ]]>