Lavrov: Relations between Russia and the US were ruined by Obama
The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs has said that Moscow hopes for an exit from the impasse in Russian-American relations and is ready to seek ways to improve them, as he discussed during an interview with the inter-Arab newspaper Asharq Al Awsat, RIA Novosti reported.
"There is hope for the withdrawal of cooperation based on the artificially created impasse, but the future of relations depends not only on us, but also on the Americans," Lavrov said.
According to him, the fact that Russian-American relations have deteriorated is not Russia’s fault.
"This is a direct consequence of Barack Obama’s administration’s policy, which destroyed the cooperative foundation and before leaving office laid time-mines to complicate his successor’s life," underlined Lavrov.
The Minister believes that the Russophobia campaign in the US, including statements about Russia's interference in the presidential elections, strongly prevents the stabilization of the dialogue.
He has stressed that Moscow is showing restraint and takes into account the difficult internal political realities in which the US new administration has to work.
"We expect that common sense will appear in Washington and the confrontation will be stopped. We are not exactly seeking it," Lavrov concluded.
It was reported earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin considered the current level of bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the United States unsatisfactory.