The Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton accused her Republican rival Donald Trump of being a “puppet” for Russian President Vladimir Putin during the third and last presidential debate.

She said Mr. Putin was personally overseeing the publication of hacked emails of her advisers in order to help Mr. Trump win the election.

Ms. Clinton said to the moderator, “You are very clearly quoting from WikiLeaks”. “What is really important about WikiLeaks is that the Russian government has engaged in espionage against Americans. They have hacked American websites, American accounts of private people, of institutions. Then they have given that information to WikiLeaks for the purpose of putting it on the internet. This has come from the highest levels of the Russian government.”

Mr. Trump who has not accepted the Obama administration’s position that Russia was behind the hacking of Democratic Party’s computer network said it could be any one. “It could be Russia, it could be China.” “Now we can talk about Putin. I don't know Putin. He said nice things about me,” he said.

“Well, that's because he would rather have a puppet as president of the United States,” Ms. Clinton said to Mr. Trump. “You’re the puppet,” Mr. Trump replied.

“We have 17 intelligence agencies, civilian and military who have all concluded that these espionage attacks, these cyber attacks, come from the highest levels of the Kremlin,” Ms. Clinton said. “And they are designed to influence our election. I find that deeply disturbing.” “She has no idea whether it is Russia, China or anybody else,” Mr. Trump said.

“She doesn't like Putin because Putin has outsmarted her at every step of the way,” Mr. Trump said.

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Nandini