Story highlights Russian officials said they had contact with Trump and Clinton campaigns

Trump has said he wants to make improved ties with Moscow

Washington (CNN) The Russian government said Thursday that it maintained contact with representatives from Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaigns.

The assertion comes after Trump was repeatedly accused by the Clinton camp of having overly close ties to the Russian regime, connections that Trump consistently denied.

"During this entire period, we not only sent some signals through some representatives, or private messages," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday about the communications with the Trump staff.

"It was our clear position that we are ready for cooperation and working together and establishing normal relations," she added.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also said that officials had been in contact with members of Trump's entourage.

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