Sources: Possible Russia-Trump Go-Between

Sources report that Blackwater founder Erik Prince, a man with several ties to President Donald Trump’s inner circle, reportedly met with an envoy close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Prince allegedly met the Russian representative at a secret Jan. 11 meeting in the Seychelles, a collection of islands off the coast of east Africa.

The encounter was reportedly brokered by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Russian officials, and the national security adviser for The United Arab Emirates, according to The Washington Post.

The Post originally reported that US, European, and Arab officials concluded that the arrangement was apparently meant to forge a covert line of communication between Russia and then-President-elect Trump.

However, another intelligence official reported to NBC News that it has not yet been confirmed that Prince was acting in cooperation with President Trump.

The White House spoke out on the alleged chain of events.

“We are not aware of any meetings and Erik Prince had no role in the transition,” said White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on the subject of Prince’s alleged role in Trump’s incumbency as president.

Prince’s representation likewise spoke out on Prince’s alleged affiliation with President Trump.

“Erik had no role on the transition team. This is a complete fabrication. The meeting had nothing to do with President Trump,” stated a spokesman for Prince.

“Why is the so-called under-resourced intelligence community messing around with surveillance of American citizens when they should be hunting terrorists?”

Sources are not entirely sure of the purpose of the alleged secret meeting, though The Post reports that the UAE arranged the meeting partly to discuss potentially dissolving Russia’s relationship with Iran, a proclaimed enemy of the UAE.

“Separating Russia from Iran was a common theme,” said a former US intelligence official of the Trump administration’s political agenda during the transition period.

“It didn’t seem very well thought out. It seemed a little premature. They clearly had a very specific policy position, which I found odd given that they hadn’t even taken the reins and explored with experts in the U.S. government the pros and cons of that approach.”

Negotiating a breakdown of the relationship between Russia and Iran would likely require increased leniency in US concessions on Russia.

Blackwater founder Prince has connections to individuals appointed to Trump’s cabinet, including Trump chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon and education secretary Betsy DeVos. He was also a prominent financial supporter of Trump.

Prince’s former company, Blackwater, gained notoriety as a private security provider with employees working in the Iraq War. The firm has since been re-named and has expanded operations as a private paramilitary organization with contracts throughout the Middle East and Asia.

Sources: The Washington Post, CNBC/Photo Credit: Lauren Petracca/mlive.com/Landov/Newsmax