Russian Diplomat Says Russia-United States Relations Have Reached an Ice Age
Jose Nino
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Anatoly Antonov, the Russian envoy to the United States told Russian-state media outlet TASS that the current state of Russia-US dialogue currently is akin to an ‘Ice Age’. The Russian diplómat stressed that the US side does not desire a complete breakup, owing to how they understand the ramifications of such radical actions.
“It is the fault of the local [US] ruling circles, who are obsessed with the idea of making an ‘international pariah’ out of us, that the state of Russia-US dialogue is now like an ‘Ice Age’,” Antonov stated. “Communication with representatives of the administration is sporadic. Mostly by phone or e-mail. There are no signs that Washington is willing to seek diplomatic solutions in order to normalize bilateral relations,” the Russian diplomat added.
“They invite us to the State Department or call us only to read out another demarche and pass a note of protest. At the same time, they rarely give us an opportunity to give our stance. They interrupt us while we are voicing our position, telling us bluntly that our time is up,” the envoy remarked.
“At the same time, we must admit that the Americans do not want to see a complete break. They are trying to control the crisis. They understand that any drastic steps will have consequences,” Antonov expressed. “Especially since we are talking about the two largest nuclear powers. They also realize that it is impossible to answer or find answers to global challenges without Russia. The food crisis is a clear example. Besides, the White House needs this communication channel to solve other emerging problems, including, for example, prisoner swaps,” Antonov stated.
Additionally, Antonov cited Washington’s efforts to influence “the domestic situation in Russia through diplomatic opportunities.” “We are aware of the Americans’ actions. We are suppressing them. America’s intentions here are obvious. They want to support the opposition inside our country, trying to sway the situation, to set public opinion against the special military operation,” he commented.
“Despite the unconstructive approaches of our American colleagues, we continue to work with them and convince them of the futility of ‘talking out of both sides of your mouth’ or using strong language. Patiently and on a daily basis, we convey the goals and objectives of Russian policy and the truth about the special military operation. Of course, we explain in the simplest terms the dangers of the US getting involved in the Ukrainian crisis,” the Russian diplomat continued.
When Antonov was asked about the embassy’s work conditions, he claimed that Russian diplomats were forced to work “in an atmosphere of hostility and mistrust.” “Under the conditions of the unleashed campaign to ‘cancel’ Russia and everything related to our country, combined with attempts of psychological pressure from the US secret services, the position of the diplomatic mission reminds us of a siege,” Antonov added. “This was especially evident during the ‘spring flare-up’ when at first they believed they could break us,”
Antonov stressed that “the situation is not to say that it has improved, but at least has more or less stabilized.” “More precisely: we’ve gotten used to this atmosphere of hostility and danger. However, one cannot rule out new attacks of Russophobic hysteria,” he detailed.
Russia-US relations are likely to remain tense as the Russo-Ukrainian conflict continues. The US Deep State is committed to sending military aid to Ukraine to degrade Russia’s military capacities. Moreover, many elements of the national security establishment want to push for full-blown regime change in Moscow.
The only way to positively restore relations between the two countries is to pursue non-interventionism and acknowledge that countries like Russia have spheres of influence. To reach this point, the US needs a whole new set of foreign policy leaders and decision-makers that are grounded in realist/non-intervenionist logic.
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