A top Russian diplomat wants the impending meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide a “turnaround” from U.S. efforts to impose economic sanctions on the Russians.
“There are always opportunities for positive turnarounds,” Sergei Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, told a Kremlin-run media outlet. “What is needed is the resolve not to miss such opportunities. Let’s see what the U.S. will do for the meeting.”
But Kislyak expressed doubt that Trump will show such “resolve,” based on recent interactions between the administration and Russia as well as ongoing efforts in Congress to pass more punitive sanctions. The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to sanction Russia over its military operations in Syria and Ukraine, as well as the cyberattacks against the Democratic Party during the 2016 campaign. And the Trump administration is threatening more punishment for any country that does business with North Korea.
“Work with Donald Trump’s administration is unfolding uneasily,” Kislyak said.
Trump has complained that the ongoing investigation into potential connections between his campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 campaign has hampered his ability to negotiate with Russia. Kislyak has been near the center of such controversies, as it was his conversations with Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former White House national security adviser Mike Flynn that led to their respective recusal and firing.
There have also been stark disagreements between the Trump team and Russian officials. Putin’s team condemned Trump for ordering an airstrike against Syrian President Bashar Assad to punish him for using chemical weapons in the ongoing Syrian civil war. Trump also has retained the sanctions imposed by former President Barack Obama following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine.
Most recently, North Korea has emerged as another point of discord, as Russia opposed U.S. efforts to tighten sanctions on the rogue regime in order to starve them of the finances needed to continue developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. “To sit there and oppose sanctions or to sit there and go in defiance of a resolution means that you’re holding the hands of [North Korean dictator] Kim Jong Un,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Wednesday.
Kislyak, echoing Trump team and Russian statements that the 2016 election cyberattacks issue is little more than a Democratic excuse for Hillary Clinton’s defeat, complained that Russia is a victim of an “internal political struggle” among American leaders.
“Sometimes, you are surprised at the ease with which the American establishment is ready to sacrifice normalcy in our relations,” he said. “It’s hard to count on a quick and easy way to normalization: there are too many people who want to hinder its advance. The sanctioning frenzy against our country in the US Congress only confirms that. The new sanctions are another headache.”
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has expressed opposition to the sanctions bill in its current form, which restricts Trump’s ability to decide when to impose or lift the sanctions. “I would urge Congress to ensure any legislation allows the president to have the flexibility to adjust sanctions to meet the needs of what is always an evolving diplomatic situation,” Tillerson said. “I certainly agree with the sentiment that has been conveyed by several members from both parties that Russia must be held accountable for its meddling in U.S. elections.”
