Russian President Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich PutinPutin nominated for Nobel Peace Prize Navalny released from hospital after suspected poisoning Ex-Trump national security adviser says US leaders 'making it easy for Putin' to meddle MORE urged U.S. business executives on Friday to help President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE mend U.S.-Russia relations.

"Help us restore normal political dialogue," Putin said at an economic forum in St. Petersburg, according to Reuters. "I ask you on behalf of Russia and I address the American side: help the new president and the new administration."

Controversies have swirled since Trump took office in January around his associates' ties to Russia and ongoing federal investigations into possible collusion between his campaign and the Kremlin.

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As a presidential candidate, Trump vowed to improve relations with Moscow, which had become increasingly strained under the Obama administration. But the calls to strengthen ties with Russia have also become a source of intense controversy.

The U.S. intelligence committee concluded in a report made public in January that the Kremlin had sought to carry out a hacking and influence campaign in order to swing the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor.

While Trump has repeatedly rejected allegations of collusion between his campaign and Moscow, the ongoing investigations have put the president's interactions with Russia under particularly close scrutiny.