Trump's defense secretary James Mattis says the US military will NOT collaborate with Russia - just hours after Putin called for more cooperation to help fight terrorism

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Donald Trump's defense secretary James Mattis has said the US military will not collaborate with Russia, in a blow to Moscow's hopes for repairing ties with the United States.

'We are not in a position right now to collaborate on a military level. But our political leaders will engage and try to find common ground,' Mattis told reporters after talks at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

His comments came just hours after Vladimir Putin called for better cooperation with Western intelligence agencies in order to fight terrorism. 

Donald Trump's defense secretary James Mattis (left) has said the US military will not collaborate with Russia, in a blow to Moscow's hopes for repairing ties with the United States. His comments came just hours after Vladimir Putin (right) called for better cooperation

The Russian president said it was in the 'general interest' for improved information sharing between services.

The comments came after an aide said the Kremlin and the US were 'wasting time', and should work together.

President Trump is currently facing questions over Moscow's influence on the White House.

Speaking to top officials at the Federal Security Service, the Russian President said:  'It's in the general interest to establish a dialogue with the special services of the United States and other member countries of NATO.

'We need to establish cooperation at a new level in the antiterrorist sphere with foreign partners.'

Putin at the same time complained that NATO 'is constantly provoking us and trying to draw us into confrontation,' according to reports in Russia.

He claimed that Russia last year thwarted the activity of more than 400 foreign special agents, but did not give details. 

Putin's comments come as Moscow is hoping Trump makes good on his pledge to improve ties with Russia and seek cooperation in the fight against ISIS.

Trump's administration is currently facing criticism over reports of its ties to Moscow

'Even a simple exchange of information about the channels and sources of terrorists, about people implicated in or suspected of terrorism seriously raises the effectiveness of our joint efforts,' Putin said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said separately that Russia and the United States were 'wasting time', especially when neither on their own could solve pressing world problems. 

Trump's administration is currently facing criticism over reports of its ties to Moscow - which follow allegations from the US intelligence community that Putin ordered a hacking and influence campaign to help get Trump elected.

This week his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned after it emerged he had made misleading statements he over conversations he'd had with the Russian ambassador.

It has prompted growing criticism over Moscow's influence on the White House.

Yesterday a Russian spy ship was spotted loitering just 30 miles off the coast of a Naval submarine base in Connecticut - the latest in series of belligerent moves by their military as Moscow appears to be testing the resolve of Donald Trump's young presidency.

The SSV-175 Viktor Leonov ship moved even closer to the East Coast, after it was spotted 70 miles off the coast of Delaware on Tuesday, Fox News reports.

While it remains in international waters, a U.S. official said the armed boat - capable of intercepting communications and sonar capability - is 'loitering'. 

And days earlier, four Russian military aircraft conducted low passes against a US destroyer in the Black Sea.

The spy ship was seen just 30 miles away from the Naval Submarine Base New London, known as the 'Home of the Submarine Force', in Groton, Connecticut

The USS Porter, a guided missile destroyer, reported the aircraft performing 'dangerous flybys' past the ship which was based just off the coast of Romania on February 10.

'There were several incidents involving multiple Russian aircraft,' said Navy Capt. Danny Hernandez, spokesman for the European Command. 'They were assessed by the commanding officer as unsafe and unprofessional. 

Trump's predecessor Barack Obama slapped sanctions on Russia's FSB domestic agency and the GRU military intelligence over accusations they were involved in cyberattacks against the US. 

Four Russian military aircraft conducted low passes against a U.S. destroyer in the Black Sea just days before a spy ship was spotted off the East Coast (stock image)

The comments come as a new report alleges members of Trump's team were in contact with Russian intelligence officials during the year leading up to the presidential election.

The New York Times claims call records and intercepted conversations show: 'members of Donald J. Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election.'

The Times said its allegations are based off interviews it has carried out with four 'current and former American officials'.

It claims US intelligence was worried because the alleged contact was taking place as then-candidate Trump continued to praise Russian President Vladimir Putin on the campaign trail. 

The Kremlin said on Wednesday, however, that the report was not based on any facts.   

TRUMP FIRED MIKE FLYNN OVER 'ERODING LEVEL OF TRUST' - BUT PENCE WAS KEPT IN THE DARK FOR DAYS

Donald Trump demanded his national security adviser's resignation after concluding that an 'eroding level of trust' had made it impossible to leave him in the sensitive position.

Mike Flynn is seen in the White House on February 13 - before he was fired by Donald Trump

A report late on Tuesday afternoon revealed that Michael Flynn had been interviewed by the FBI in the first days of the Trump administration over claims he made about a pre-inauguration talk with a Kremlin representative that were repeated by the vice president.

Investigators were concerned that Flynn did not tell them the entire truth, the New York Times said, and informed the White House the very same day.

Yet, the vice president did not find out until two weeks later, on Feb. 9, NBC News claimed early on Tuesday evening.

Mike Pence's spokesman, Mark Lotter, confirmed the network's reporting shortly after to a group of journalists. Lotter further said that the VP learned of Flynn's deceit from the same report on Feb. 9 that they did.

'The vice president became of the incomplete information that he had received on Feb. 9 last Thursday night based on media accounts, and he did an inquiry based on those media accounts,' Lotter stated.

Lotter delivered the statement as reporters finished a gaggle with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer about Flynn's spectacular fall from grace.

Spicer had said at a news conference earlier in the day that Trump had been reviewing and evaluating allegations against Flynn for weeks.

He would not get into the details of the situation then, or later, other than to say that it reached 'critical mass' last night.

'That is why the president decided to ask for his resignation, and he got it.'

Spicer cited Flynn's misleading statements to Pence about the call he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States – 'and a series of other questionable instances' that he would not describe.

If the ex-general provided false statements to the FBI he could face an investigation with the possibility of felony charges. It is an offense not to tell the agency the truth and interviews do not have to be under oath.

The Department of Justice notified the White House's legal counsel, Don McGhan, on Jan. 26 that Flynn may have fibbed when he said that he did not discuss sanctions with Kislyak. 

The White House's Office of Legal Counsel immediately told Trump and some of his advisers.