Opposition in US to mending ties with Russia

The resignation of retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn as US national security adviser after only two weeks in office is a significant blow to President Donald Trump's stated aim of greatly improving relations between the United States and Russia.

The move gives a huge boost to the many opponents in Washington to any effort to defuse tensions with Moscow among the hawkish majorities of both the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress, especially in the US Senate.

It will also embolden Trump's determined foes in both Congress and the US media to seek to embarrass and further undermine him by exposing any alleged examples of contact with the Russians that they can find.