Donald Trump did not know the source of the terrorism intelligence he passed to the Russians - or how it was gathered, his National Security Adviser has admitted.
Mr Trump has said he shared information about "terrorism and airline flight safety" while meeting foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergey Kislyak last week.
US media reported that highly classified information was disclosed.
The National Security Adviser, General HR McMaster, reiterated that the intelligence sharing was "wholly appropriate" and based on "open source reporting".
Facing tough questions from reporters at the White House, he said Mr Trump had "in no way compromised any sources or methods in the course of this conversation".
"The President wasn't even aware of where this information came from - he wasn't even briefed on the source or method of this information either," he added.
However, General McMaster did not deny that classified intelligence may have been passed on.
"We don't share what's classified, what's not classified," he said.
Sky's US correspondent, Hannah Thomas-Peter, said the general's grilling was a "very, very difficult dance".
She said he had dropped "a bit of a bombshell" by revealing the President went into the meeting "knowing very basic details about crucial intelligence that he was then to share with the Russians".
It comes as the Senate's intelligence committee asked the White House for information on the meeting, according to a spokesman for its chairman, Senator Richard Burr.
Congressional investigators are expected to ask for any notes taking during the meeting.
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Mr Trump has defended his actions in a series of tweets.
He posted: "As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining....
"...to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism."
He did not address whether the information he shared was classified, and ignored the question as he hosted the Turkey's President Erdogan at the White House.
According to The Washington Post, during the meeting Mr Trump boasted of the intelligence he had received about an Islamic State plot to use laptops to blow up passenger planes.
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That information had apparently been received from another country and was not America's to share without getting permission from that country first.
It is accepted protocol in the intelligence community and is regarded as vital to protect spies and informants.
On Monday, the White House and Russia's foreign ministry denied any classified information was revealed.
General McMaster, who was in the room alongside the US secretary of state Rex Tillerson, said the men had discussed "a range of common threats to our countries including threats to civil aviation".
The meeting happened the day after Mr Trump sacked FBI director James Comey, who was in charge of investigating whether the President's campaign colluded with Russia to swing the election.
There is no suggestion Mr Trump has committed a crime as he has the authority to disclose even the most highly classified information at will.
However, he has been accused of acting unwisely and jeopardising long-standing intelligence-sharing agreements by sharing information without consulting the ally that provided it.
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