Lavrov Says ‘Downward Trend’ in U.S.-Russian Ties Counters President Trump’s Intentions
Sept. 5, 2019 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov once again commented on U.S.-Russian relations, or lack thereof, in an interview yesterday in Vladivostok with MIC Izvestia multimedia information center, TASS reported today. The full transcript of his interview can be found on the Russian Foreign Ministry website.
After once again protesting the U.S. withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and putting into question the future of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Lavrov said the Trump Administration has still not responded to any of the overtures Russia has made for dialogue on these issues.
“Of course,” Lavrov said,
“our relations with the U.S. are undermined. Unfortunately, this process continues. We are not begging to be friends. However, our proposals on how to improve bilateral relations have been repeatedly extended to our American colleagues, including during the meetings between the Presidents and at my meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, as well as with U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton.”
He further stated that,
“those proposals concern spheres of strategic stability, as well as economic, trade and investment cooperation, and cooperation between political analysts and civil society experts on issues that are important for bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington.”
Lavrov explained that Russia and the U.S. have
“many common interests in the world, as well as many common responsibilities.... Unfortunately, despite intentions to normalize relations with Russia that have been confirmed many times by U.S. President Donald Trump and other key officials, nothing positive is happening at the practical level. The ‘downward’ trend continues. Our American colleagues continue to impose unilateral sanctions, without even trying to justify this. It contradicts the attitude that the U.S. President projects,”
TASS quotes him as telling MIC Izvestia.
Lavrov also complained about the new sanctions the U.S. has imposed. “Our U.S. colleagues are trying to introduce unilateral sanctions without even bothering to explain some reasons—just for no reason at all. This contradicts the sentiment which is constantly being voiced by the U.S. President,” Lavrov said, insisting that Russia is “always ready to resume relations in the formats which the United States currently finds comfortable.”
He also had some harsh words for U.S. Democrats:
“Outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama, frustrated because the Republican candidate defeated the Democratic Party in full accordance with the U.S. electoral system, decided to slam the door and ruin ... any mechanisms or channels of interaction between Moscow and Washington.... The fury of those trying to accuse the U.S. administration of clandestine ties with Russia, to find reasons to start the process of Donald Trump’s impeachment, shows that, despite the negative conclusions made by the Mueller commission, the Democrats have not backed down from playing the Russia card and are going to use it in the next election campaign, preparing for the presidential election in 2020.”
