FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Lavrov: ‘Democrats Are Going Out of Their Way To Poison Life for President Trump’
Feb. 17, 2018 (EIRNS)—In his 20-minute “Global Conversation” interview with Euronews agency yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated the Russian government’s understanding that President Trump is being blocked from improving relations with Russia, as he has repeatedly stated is his desire.
“It’s quite clear that the Democrats can’t reconcile themselves to the defeat [in the 2016 presidential election] that caught them fully by surprise, and now they are going out of their way to poison life for President Trump and the entire Republican Party. But for Trump in the first place, of course, since he is a leader from outside of the system.... They’re failing to do it to the extent they’d want,”
Lavrov stated, according to a report from TASS.
“Trump has confirmed more than once his genuine intention to fulfill everything he spoke about during the election race, including the promotion of normal, respectful, mutually beneficial and advantageous relations with Russia,”
Lavrov said. Nonetheless, ties between the two countries have not improved.
“It’s a pity that under Donald Trump, for more than a year of his presidency, our relations have not improved compared to the period of the Democratic administration. Even worsened to a certain extent....”
“I do hope the predominant tendencies we’re witnessing in Washington now will fade away there somehow,” Lavrov told Euronews.
“It’s clear, though, this shouldn’t be expected before the midterms in November because the struggle for seats in the U.S. Congress and gubernatorial positions is already in full swing.”
Lavrov went on to deny the latest allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, and suggested they reflected the fact that the authors of the Russiagate operation have “cornered themselves.” Lavrov stated in the interview, which was conducted in Russian:
“There’s much talk about state interference in the electoral process but I haven’t seen a single fact to date. A U.S. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security supervising cybersecurity said unambiguously a few days ago they didn’t have any evidence of Russia’s interference with the last presidential race,”
he said.
“The situation where no facts have leaked to the public sphere over almost half a year that the investigation is in progress is simply impossible for the U.S. If there were at least some smoldering, smoke would be seen at once. I think they’ve cornered themselves by declarations about precise data on Russian meddling and now they are trying to at least [produce] some retroactive justifications, but still they are floundering.”
