As speculation continues to surround last week’s visit to the White House by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and what classified details President Trump might have let slip during their conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to resolve the question by giving the US Congress a full transcript of what was said.
Current and former US officials claimed Trump had leaked the name of an ISIS city in which a foreign spy was present to Lavrov, and later officials revealed that the foreign spy was Israeli, predicting a major backlash with Israel’s intelligence community.
Putin denied Trump had shared anything dramatic with Lavrov, and expressed annoyance at the “political schizophrenia” in the US which is fueling these accusations. Even his offer to answer the question with a transcript itself became a controversy, because of a translation confusiioin.
Putin used the Russian word for “recording” in the initial comments, which led many to conclude he was offering an audio tape of the meeting. Later Russia’s state media confirmed that in fact there was a transcriptionist present at the meeting, and it was a written record of what was said that was being offered.
Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
- Taliban Kills Dozens of Afghan Forces in Attacks on Checkpoints - October 14th, 2018
- Bombing Kills 22 at Afghanistan Election Rally - October 14th, 2018
- Israel to Expand Settlement in Hebron, First Time in 16 Years - October 14th, 2018
- Syria's Al-Qaeda Will Accept Idlib Deal - October 14th, 2018
- South Korea President: North Korea Leader Sincere, Should Be Rewarded - October 14th, 2018
Why bother? The corrupt establishment isn’t going to let truth get in the way of the agenda. Putin still doesn’t seem to get the kind of scum he’s dealing with.
I believe that is because most people in the world cannot understand the degeneracy that has taken over the US government. It makes no sense to them…
I would be curious to see the percentages, many people understand it’s degeneracy all too well.
It sticks in Washington’s craw that the guy running Russia has more credibility than they do.
Oh I think Putin knows. So does much of the rest of the world. Those who don’t get it are just not able to accept that things could get so bad, an understandable reaction.
It is routine for each side to make a transcript of such high level meetings, just as high level phone calls are monitored and transcribed. For example, we have the transcript of the US Ambassador meeting with Saddam just before the invasion of Kuwait, back under George HW Bush, a good example of classic practices in diplomacy.
The US ought not to trust the other side’s transcript, but it would be a good idea to get it, and to compare it to what else we certainly have to be sure our own is complete and fair.
Actually, from my experience with transcripts, they won’t be exactly the same, and that will be because of ambiguities that happen all the time converting conversation to a transcript as people mumble or talk over each other or gesture.
Political schzophrenia is the correct expression.
American higher interest is not served been in piece with Russia.
Trump established enemies like press and political establishment.
Trump is politically dead man walking.