BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – The probe into potential collusion between U.S. President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Moscow is probably undermining U.S. ties with Russia, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Friday, but she denied it was the reason Trump canceled his planned G20 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sanders disparaged Mueller’s investigation as the “Russian Witch Hunt Hoax” in a statement and added “unfortunately, it probably does undermine our relationship with Russia.”

“However, the reason for our canceled meeting is Ukraine,” she said.

Separately, a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied a report that Trump planned a “pull-aside” meeting with Putin at the G20 after canceling plans for a longer bilateral.