FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Lavrov, Peskov Blame U.S. Opposition for Worsening Relations
Jan. 22, 2018 (EIRNS)—Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov blame U.S. opposition for preventing U.S. President Donald Trump from improving relations between Russia and the United States.
In an interview with Russian daily Kommersant, Lavrov said Trump was being forced to make anti-Russian decisions under the pressure of his national political opponents.
"When U.S. President Donald Trump received me in the White House, when he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg and later they held telephone conversations, I did not see U.S. President Trump’s charge [mandate] for any sort of actions, which could undermine his election campaign slogans that he wanted good relations with Russia,"
Lavrov said, reported TASS. Lavrov attributed the U.S. stance towards Russia to three factors: the defeat of Hillary Clinton, the outside-the-system character of Donald Trump, and the need to explain why everything does not goes well for the United States in the international arena. Trump is forced into making anti-Russian decisions under such conditions, according to Lavrov.
"One should probably understand that under conditions, when bills are passed by the majority of votes (95%), the President comes to think not about the essence of the draft law, how real it is, legitimate or decent, but that his veto would be eventually overturned,"
Lavrov said.
"We are comforted that recently some members of the Congress, political circles in the United States and some diplomats acknowledge quietly in their confidential talks the absolute abnormality of such situation and the need to improve it."
Speaking on a TV show on the Rossiya 1 channel, Peskov blamed the domestic atmosphere in the United States as the cause preventing Trump from establishing good relations with Russia.
"I think so.... We are certain about it, because, while, let’s say, we are barely in a position to give estimations of internal politics inside the U.S., but, nevertheless, it is quite obvious that the internal climate, let’s put it this way, is rather unfriendly regarding our country,"
Peskov said.
