During his annual question and answer session, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted that Russia does not view the United States as their enemy,and that they are ready for constructive dialogue with the US on a number of issues, saying non-proliferation of WMDs and Syria are areas in particular where cooperation would be possible.
Though officially an answer to a question from some Russian citizen, Putin’s comments are likely a direct response to Defense Secretary James Mattis, who earlier this week told the Senate Armed Services Committee there was “no indication” Russia was interested in constructive dialogue, and was only interested in treating the US as a “competitor.”
Putin and other Russian officials have repeatedly made clear they are interested in improved diplomatic relations with the United States, and they were particularly eager to approach normalization of ties back when President Trump was talking up that idea.
But President Trump has since abandoned efforts to improve ties with Russia, at least publicly, and administration officials have tried to present the lack of diplomatic progress as Russia’s fault. Putin, it seems, wants to again underscore his nation’s interest in diplomacy.
Too bad it won’t happen until the US establishment is removed.
Putin and capitalist Russia, against Trump and capitalist USA. Problem is, Putin wants friendly competition while Empire USA wants expansion by imperialism most brutal.
There is no friendly competition in a capitalist system. The banks distribute funds to the parties of their choice, Wall Street selects the winners and dominators intentionally. It is all managed for the elite.
A review of the Q&A answer from the Russian Nationalist POV here:
http://www.unz.com/akarlin/hi-putlet/
Putin is the only adult in the roomful of petulant children
Seems the best we’ve got is Dennis Rodman.
The damage to the relationship is entirely an internal American partisan political fight. Democrats use Russia as a boogeyman, and Republicans dodge the charge. Relations go in the tank, but politicians concentrate on their own internal concerns, and just don’t even see what they are doing to us, or if they see, just don’t care.