Lavrov: The Kremlin has already initiated dialogue with the Trump administration
Russia has begun a dialogue with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, as stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during an interview with Channel NTV.
"We respect the positions of any country, and are always ready to sit down and discuss any approaches, even those that completely contradict our own. I believe that our dialogue with the administration of Donald Trump, which has already begun, will become more intensive as soon as all parts of the administration engaged in foreign affairs have fully taken shape," Lavrov said.
The White House has not yet reacted to these statements.
During his election campaign, President Donald Trump repeatedly spoke in favor of cooperation with Russia, and said that he was fascinated by the leadership qualities of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, before a planned meeting with Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May said that the West should engage with Russia but remain cautious about Moscow's intentions. Referring to Republican lawmakers, May recalled the approach of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan to the talks with his Soviet counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev - "trust but verify." Toward current Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Theresa May offers a similar approach - "cooperation, but be cautious."