US, Russian top brass in talks on joint action
MOSCOW: Russian and US top military officials were set to meet in Baku, Azerbaijan, yesterday to seek possible co-operation, the Russian Defence Ministry announced.
Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Joseph Dunford will discuss the current state and prospects of military co-operation.
Also yesterday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was set to meet US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Bonn, Germany, to discuss bilateral and regional issues.
The flurry of military and diplomatic contacts come as a spurt of incidents have added uncertainty to the proposed re-establishment of Russia-US relations.
US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned on Monday following days of reports that he lied about improperly discussing US sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the US.
Russian MPs reacted with dismay and anger to Flynn’s resignation, calling it a sign that Donald Trump’s White House is driven by the same “paranoia” toward the Kremlin as previous presidencies.
Flynn being ousted over contacts with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak shows that the Trump administration suffers from “Russophobia”, said Konstantin Kosachyov, a member of the ruling party and chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the upper house of the Russian parliament, wrote on Facebook. US hawks treat a readiness for dialogue with Russia as an Orwellian “thought crime”, he said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment, saying Flynn’s departure is an “internal matter” for the US. Peskov said reports that Flynn and Kislyak discussed US sanctions against Russia late last year weren’t true. Flynn said in his resignation letter that he’d given “incomplete information regarding my phone calls” with Kislyak, after US Vice-President Mike Pence publicly denied sanctions had been discussed.
Flynn’s resignation added to emerging doubts about Trump among Russian officials after initial euphoria that his presidency would herald a new era in ties with the US following years of confrontation with Barack Obama.
Trump’s relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin are being watched closely amid allegations from US intelligence agencies that the Kremlin interfered in the elections to help him win. The two leaders have yet to agree on a date for their first meeting.
Trump said during the campaign he’d consider removing sanctions, and wants to explore co-operation with Russia in fighting international terrorism.
Flynn fell victim to an aggressive US newspaper campaign fuelled by “paranoia and witch hunts”, said Alexei Pushkov of a Russian defence and security committee. Xinhua and Washington Post