The situation in Syria was also discussed in Moscow today. The Foreign Minister of Russia held a large press conference where he provided detailed answers to the sharpest questions by the press.
Our political observer Alexey Petrov attended it as well.
There were over 500 journalists, who asked questions for two and a half hours.
Almost at the very beginning, there was a question about the USA's withdrawal from the INF Treaty. The Russian diplomats were ready for the dialogue in Geneva, which ultimately ground to a halt.
Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia: "Our proposals received no attention. The actions which we're ready to take to assuage the Americans' concerns were brushed aside. And the logic of all of the American approaches voiced yesterday consisted of only one thing: 'You're violating the treaty, and we aren't, that's why you, Russia, must do what we demand you do and we shouldn't do anything.' Of course, this position won't get you far".
The topic which got the American press pretty far is the mythical ties between Trump and the Kremlin.
Elizabeth Palmer, CBS News correspondent: "It's been widely discussed in the US that President Trump supposedly didn't disclose his conversations with Vladimir Putin".
Sergey Lavrov: “It's hard to comment on the events taking place in the US around the claims that President Trump is basically a Russian agent. Attorney Mueller is working on it. He's been working on it for almost two years. He's questioned dozens if not hundreds of people. There weren't any leaks that would confirm the accusations of a conspiracy between President Trump and the Russian Federation. They haven't presented any facts, there aren't any leaks, which is pretty unusual in American politics.”
When there are so many interpretations and conjectures in international relations, it's easy to get lost.
Ina Ruck, ARD correspondent: Our Foreign Minister Lavrov, no, Heiko Maas... It hasn't yet come to that.
Sergey Lavrov: Now, they'll accuse me that we want to seize Germany.
- Yes.
It's worth noting that the correspondent from the German new channel ARD asked about the quality of the dialogue between Russia and Belarus. Ambiguous statements about Belarus, of threats coming not only from the West, attracted some attention. Moscow hopes that the neighboring country will be pragmatic, and asks to not to look for geopolitics where there are economic issues.
And the journalist from Japan seems to have not simply asked a question but invited the minister to start a discourse.
Hirofumi Sugizaki, Kyodo News journalist: "You imposed preconditions which provide that, first of all, Japan shall recognize all of the results of WWII, including Russia's sovereignty over the disputed islands. Please, tell me, isn't it an ultimatum?"
Sergey Lavrov: "Recognition of the results of WWII isn't an ultimatum or a precondition. It's an inevitable and essential factor of the modern international system. The laws of your country have the term "Northern Territories". It's been introduced in a number of laws, including the law which links the realization of the joint initiative by President Putin and Prime Minister Abe to carry out joint economic activities on the islands with the necessity to return the Northern Territories. Nobody has agreed to do that. It directly contradicts your obligations under the UN Charter. That's why it isn't a precondition. It's just our desire to understand why Japan is the only country in the world which can't say: I recognize the results of WWII in full?
Lavrov was asked about the fate of Kirill Vyshinsky, editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti's Ukraine branch. The minister says that Moscow is doing its best for the journalist to be released.
The press conference of the Russian Foreign Minister isn't just stocktaking. It's also an opportunity to communicate Russia's position to foreign audiences. Given the fact that the press conference was broadcast in several foreign languages simultaneously on the website of the MoFA and in social networks, a foreign viewer can compare the answers of Sergey Lavrov with the tone of the comments in the press.
Alexey Petrov, Olga Khodinova, Stanislav Ponomarenko, and Valery Glushakov for Vesti.
