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Former UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage has ridiculed a newspaper report suggesting the FBI wants to talk to him as part of the inquiry into possible collusion between President Donald Trump's inner circle and Russia.

Farage said Thursday that a report in The Guardian is "extremely doubtful" because he has never been to Russia and has no business ties there.

The Guardian reports that sources with knowledge of the investigation said the FBI would like to interview Farage because of his ties to both Trump and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Farage, who played an important role in the successful campaign to take Britain out of the European Union, said he had visited Assange but only to try to set up a radio interview. He has also met with Trump.