PRESS RELEASE
Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov: U.S. Anti-Russia Venom Is ‘Sledgehammer To Thwart Trump’s Presidency’
Aug. 16, 2017 (EIRNS)—In a broad-ranging interview with the Mezhdunarodnaya Zhizn magazine, conducted on Aug. 7 but posted only yesterday to the Foreign Ministry’s website, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov took aim at the anti-Russia hysteria prevailing in the U.S. Congress, warning that it is used as "a sledgehammer to thwart Trump’s presidency," and "undermine the very possibility of building reasonable relations with us for years to come."
Although Russia has "learned to live with sanctions" and take necessary defensive measures both economically and politically, those recently passed by both houses of Congress "are unprecedented in their political arrogance, limiting the U.S. Executive’s power to pursue an independent foreign policy." And, he added, the provisions outlined for lifting the sanctions are such that any future U.S. president will have limited maneuvering room for any independent policy moves.
In fact, Ryabkov added, the sanction law "strives to intimidate everyone as much as possible, if not to take the entire world hostage."
The Russian official pointed out that the
"anti-Russia genie...actually popped up from the depths of the Democratic Party... It was unprecedented how the Democrats used Russia as the bogeyman."
But asked why Republicans have gone to war against their own President, Ryabkov averred that pinning labels has become
"the alpha and omega of the political line of the U.S. Congress. To them, defending the wrongly-interpreted American values...is more important than the interests of their own country."
The behavior of those who push the anti-Russia fever "is obscene and unworthy of such a country as the United States... They are harming themselves." What has gone on in the Congress in the past few months, he warned,
"is a very serious blow to the image, reputation and prestige of the U.S. as a leading, and in many areas, the most influential country in the world... The petty games of U.S. politicians are one of the most astounding phenomena of recent times."
Ryabkov asserted that Russia’s actions must be guided "first and foremost ... by national interests.... We cannot act in order to hurt someone else...this behavior is not right." Rather, Russia must exercise restraint and patience, and have a two-pronged policy: first, deterrence in the face of U.S. aggression, and second, engagement in a dialogue, "but only on the issues that serve our interests."
