One former senior White House official said Trump even stated so explicitly at one point, saying he knew Ukraine was the real culprit because “Putin told me.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-administration-battles-new-sanctions-on-russia
https://www.inopressa.ru/article/19Dec2019/bild/merkel.html
https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-putin-gaz/30333870.html