US president-elect Donald Trump says only 'stupid people or fools would dismiss closer ties with Russia, and he seemed unswayed after his classified briefing on an intelligence report that accused Moscow of meddling on his behalf in the election that catapulted him to power.

He said having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Mr Trump says the US has enough problems without yet another one, and said Russians would respect America far more under his administration than they do with Barack Obama in the White House.

He repeatedly has questioned the assessment by American intelligence agencies that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 election, and a classified report presented to him on Friday seemed to have little changed his thinking.

The report explicitly tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to election meddling and said that Moscow had a clear preference for Republican Trump