FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Lavrov Emphasizes, Trump Wants Good Relations with Russia, But Is Constrained by Domestic Politics
Nov. 6, 2018 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave an interview to the Spanish daily El País, on the eve of his Nov. 6, 2018 visit to Spain to meet with Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, in which he elaborated on what he has said repeatedly about U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to Russia:
“Donald Trump has repeatedly said in public comments and in bilateral contacts that he wants to normalize Russian-U.S. relations. I think he really wants to change the atmosphere for the dialogue for the better, to find common ground on different issues, and this is not because he has some special feelings for our country.”
Trump understands that “stable and predictable cooperation with Russia is undoubtedly more in the interests of Americans than continuing a pointless confrontation,” Lavrov stated.
He continued:
“The ‘Russian card’ is actively used in political clashes in Washington; Russophobic attitudes are artificially fanned. We want to hope that U.S. elites will sort it out amongst themselves at some point, and their disagreements will stop poisoning Russian-U.S. ties.”
Lavrov commented that the U.S. withdrawal from the INF Treaty was timed with the U.S. midterm elections, and that, “Unfortunately, even disarmament treaties between our countries, which are important for maintaining global stability, become hostage to them [domestic problems in the U.S.].”
The problem is “the U.S. political establishment, which is stubbornly refusing to accept the reality that the multipolar world order is being shaped,” and clings to the idea that they are
“a world hegemon which orders the others how to behave.... In this connection, unilateral economic sanctions, other means of restraint are vigorously employed against us, starting from a military build-up next to our borders and finishing with an unprecedented scale of the anti-Russian information campaign.”
The EU is suffering from all of this, Lavrov stated. “Objectively, sanctions are not beneficial to either Russia or the EU. It is important that this understanding finally comes to European politicians.”
Lavrov concluded:
“For our part, we have been and are still open to holding a constructive and pragmatic dialogue, and to develop relations based on principles of international law, mutual respect and regard for interests of one another.”
