‘He says what he thinks directly’: Russia’s Lavrov reveals peculiarities of foreign policy talks with Trump

The Russian foreign minister’s visit to the White House created much ado in Washington, coming amid impeachment procedures. Sergrey Lavrov has now opened up on Donald Trump’s negotiating style and the atmosphere of the meetings.

“I like the way Trump discusses international agenda and issues in bilateral relations. He avoids any ambiguity and tries to say what he thinks directly,” Lavrov said in an interview aired by Russia’s Channel One.

This “productive approach” that not many top politicians use allows parties “to better understand the opportunities, difficulties and prospects of relations.”

The FM met with Trump on December 10 when the House Democrats announced the articles on which they were going to vote to impeach him for what they call pressure on Ukraine to launch an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son’s activities.

As Democrats had failed to impeach Trump previously for "collusion with Russia" because  the probe found none, his meeting on that day fueled up the Resistance. But Lavrov insisted that it was just a “coincidence,” with the date of his meeting with Trump agreed a month before his arrival to Washington.

Lavrov described his talks at the White House as “substantial,” saying that at least “a dozen of substantial issues” were discussed including bilateral ties, strategic stability, arms control and various regional conflicts, such as those in the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula. 

There was an extremely direct conversation on all those topics, with no attempts to cut corners or avoid contentious issues.

Moscow and Washington have opposing views on many international problems, but Russia is ready for dialogue; and the same goes for Trump, Lavrov said.

“The signal that he [Trump] sent to his establishment, the White House employees, the State Department is very clear: we must continue talking to Russia. We also believe that this is the only right way to go.”

During the talks, Trump also reiterated his desire to expand trade ties between the US and Russia, but those efforts are hampered by Congress which is “bombarding” Moscow with sanctions, the FM pointed out. 

“In their desire to revise the results of the [2016] election and the will of the American people, these congressmen are ready for anything, including absolutely reckless things, which I’d say are unworthy of serious politicians,” Lavrov said noting that this makes everyone else “hostages of the internal political struggle in America.”

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