Ryabkov says Russia has no friends among the U.S. political class

The U.S. political class views Russia as an enemy and Moscow has virtually no friends in Washington, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on December 6.

"There are practically no 'friends of Moscow' among the US political class, whose representatives, regardless of party affiliation, view Russia as an enemy and an existential threat." In conditions when anti-Russian hysteria has become a mass character in the United States, anyone 'sympathizing with the Russians' is instantly marginalized," he said in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.

The diplomat added that President-elect Donald Trump and his entourage attacking the current White House administration are sending contradictory signals. They are talking about the principles of "America First" and "peace through strength," which do not clash with Russia's national interests, Ryabkov clarified.

He emphasized that Moscow considers it possible and preferable to settle the contradictions through negotiations on the basis of a balance of interests. The diplomat pointed to the openness of the Russian side for an honest dialog, but called it a big question whether the future Trump administration will use this chance.

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Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson that Trump is a strong man, but he cannot be called a pro-Russian politician. He recalled the large number of sanctions that were imposed during the Republican's last presidential term.

Before that, on December 4, Ryabkov said in an interview with CNN that Russia is ready to consider Trump's proposals on Ukraine, but will not compromise national interests. The diplomat drew attention to the dependence of the situation on US decisions and Washington's mistaken belief in the possibility of long-term pressure on Russia.

The election of the 47th president of the United States was held on November 5. In the national vote, Trump received 49.9% of votes, while the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris received 48.4%.