Russian president Vladimir Putin should be held to account for destabilising the United States’ electoral process, Hillary Clinton has said, as she called for an independent investigation into the cloud of rumours about Russian interference.

In her first interview since the election, Mrs Clinton said that the Russian leader specialised in “three dimensional chess” and should be stopped for interfering – or else he will do it again.

“He’s always trying to figure out how to advantage himself, his oligarchic companions, and his country – in that order,” she said.

“He is very much focused on destabilising Europe, Nato, the United States – democracies, real democracies.”