Russians blame ‘Russophobia’ in the U.S. Administration for Flynn resignation
Russians have considered the dismissal of the U.S. President’s National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to be an act of ‘paranoia’. The dismissal was triggered by Flynn’s contacts with the Russian government, which occurred without the prior knowledge of the U.S. Administration.
Konstantin Kosachev, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of the Russian State Duma, wrote about the occurrence on his Facebook page.
"Either Trump has not found his desired independence and has been consequently (and unsuccessfully) cornered, or Russophobia has now struck the new administration from top to bottom," he wrote.
According to Kosachev, Flynn, unlike many other high-level Americans, was still open to dialogue, had visited Moscow and, as it turned out, had talked with the Russian Ambassador in Washington. "To expel the retired National Security Adviser because of contact with the Russian Ambassador (which is a normal diplomatic practice) – it is not even paranoia, but something infinitely worse," he added.
The U.S. President's National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned on the evening of February 13th.
Information about Flynn’s resignation came after it became known that the U.S. Department of Justice had warned the Trump administration in January that Flynn had misled administration officials about his relations with the Russian ambassador, and was potentially vulnerable to blackmail by Russia.
A number of congressmen from the Democratic Party of the United States have demanded to hold an investigation of Michael Flynn.
Retired General Keith Kellogg will serve as acting National Security Advisor in the interim.