Trump’s ‘getting along’ with Russia probably should not mean further sanctions – Kremlin

If Washington wants to “get along with Moscow,” the White House will have to refrain from using the sanctions stick, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says after the US extended anti-Russia restrictions.

In an interview to Russian state TV, the official weighed in on Trump’s tweet that he posted on his favorite social media on May 3. The message followed a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and featured Trump’s notorious “getting along” with Russia is a “good thing.”

Peskov, however, found the chosen definition a bit nebulous.

'Getting along' probably doesn’t mean imposing additional sanctions, ignoring each other’s interests. It should be something different.

Building bridges with Moscow has been a recurring point in Trump’s rhetoric during the past three years, Peskov noted, but lamented that his position “is subject to drastic changes” and therefore Moscow needs to “wait for comprehensive explanations.”

On Thursday, Washington blacklisted Terek special police unit deployed in Russia’s southern republic of Chechnya, as well as its commander and four more personnel. It was done under the so-called 2016 Magnitsky Act, which allows Washington to impose sanctions on anyone around the world who is regarded as a human rights abuser. Moscow for its part was swift to promise “necessary countermeasures” and has repeatedly slammed the Act as a tool allowing Washington to put pressure on Russia.

Just days before the fresh batch of sanctions, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin in Russia. After the meetings, Pompeo said the US “stands ready to find common ground” with Moscow while Putin indicated that Kremlin would be inclined “to fully restore relations” with Washington.

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