This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has not denied a report that information from senior diplomat Alexander Downer helped spark the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election.

On Monday Turnbull conceded he had not talked to anyone in the Trump administration since the New York Times story detailing Downer’s role in the investigation broke. But Turnbull said he was not at all worried his relationship with Donald Trump had been damaged.

Speaking for the first time since Downer, the Australian high commissioner to the UK, became the unlikely hero of the anti-Trump movement, Turnbull said Australia’s relationship with America was “in excellent shape”.

Alexander Downer: the gaffe-prone conservative and unlikely anti-Trump hero Read more

“The government won’t be making additional comments on a matter that relates to an ongoing investigation in the US,” he said, when asked about Downer’s role.

“So we’ve got nothing further to add to that.”

Citing numerous unnamed sources, the New York Times reported Downer had drinks with Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos in the UK in May 2016, during which the campaign aide mentioned Russia had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.

The Australian government reportedly passed that information to American authorities in July 2016, after a cache of emails from the Democratic campaign was released.

The information from one of America’s strongest intelligence allies was said to have heavily contributed to the FBI decision to launch an investigation into Russia’s role during the US election. Papadopoulos has since pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the FBI.

The Australian government has not taken any opportunity to deny the reports citing Downer’s involvement, instead pointing to the investigation that is under way. Labor has also declined to comment.

George Papadopoulos timeline: Trump campaign adviser details Russia links Read more

Instead, Turnbull, who famously was told by Trump his was “the most unpleasant phone call” when the pair first spoke in January following Trump’s inauguration, focused on the relationship between the two allies.

The US is yet to appoint a new ambassador to Australia, but Turnbull said that was normal, given the change in administrations.

“In the American system, there are often delays in appointing ambassadors when a new administration comes in, it is not a matter of concern,” he said.

“The relationship is in excellent shape and the connections between Australia and the United States are so diverse and numerous, so strong and indeed, our relationship through the State Department is excellent as well.”

Quick guide What you need to know about the Trump-Russia inquiry Show Hide How serious are the allegations? The story of Donald Trump and Russia comes down to this: a sitting president or his campaign is suspected of having coordinated with a foreign country to manipulate a US election. The story could not be bigger, and the stakes for Trump – and the country – could not be higher. What are the key questions? Investigators are asking two basic questions: did Trump’s presidential campaign collude at any level with Russian operatives to sway the 2016 US presidential election? And did Trump or others break the law to throw investigators off the trail? What does the country think? While a majority of the American public now believes that Russia tried to disrupt the US election, opinions about Trump campaign involvement tend to split along partisan lines: 73% of Republicans, but only 13% of Democrats, believe Trump did “nothing wrong” in his dealings with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. What are the implications for Trump? The affair has the potential to eject Trump from office. Experienced legal observers believe that prosecutors are investigating whether Trump committed an obstruction of justice. Both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton – the only presidents to face impeachment proceedings in the last century – were accused of obstruction of justice. But Trump’s fate is probably up to the voters. Even if strong evidence of wrongdoing by him or his cohort emerged, a Republican congressional majority would probably block any action to remove him from office. (Such an action would be a historical rarity.) What has happened so far? Former foreign policy adviser George Papadopolous pleaded guilty to perjury over his contacts with Russians linked to the Kremlin, and the president’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide face charges of money laundering. When will the inquiry come to an end? The investigations have an open timeline.

Downer, formerly Australia’s longest serving foreign minister, in the conservative Howard government, has been held up as a “hero” on social media by critics of Trump.

Having been Australia’s man in Britain since 2014, Downer is due to vacate Australia House when his term expires in March, to make way for the former attorney general George Brandis.