Official Russian Reactions To The Trump-Putin Meeting in Helsinki; Senator Pushkov: Russia And The US Decide The Fate Of The World – Part II

On July 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump met in Helsinki.[1] In Russia, commentators and policy makers welcomed the summit and stressed the "good" atmosphere that prevailed during the talks. Russian FM Sergey Lavrov ebulliently defined the summit as "better than  awesome".

Russian Senator Alexey Pushkov condemned the US media for expressing a harshly critical opinion of the summit. Pushkov wrote in his Twitter account that the mai stream media is creating a "monstrous resistance" to the normalization of the US-Russia relations. He then added that Russia does not need the US to be recognized as a world power. [Russia] is a great power due to its victory in the 2nd World War, its place in the UNSC, its nuclear status, its international role etc.," wrote Pushkov.

Commenting on the outcome of the summit, Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko said that further contacts are needed in order to find mutually acceptable solutions. However, former Kremlin foreign policy adviser Sergey Karaganov opined that he does not foresee substantial improvement in the Russia-American relations in the years to come, given the moods and positions shared by the majority of the American and Western elites.

The following is an overview of the reactions in Russia to the Trump-Putin meeting in Helsinki:

(Source: Gazeta.ru)

 

(Source: Facebook.com/WhiteHouse)

 

Pushkov's Tweet Storm: Loads Of Nonsense In The US Media, Russia Does Not Need A Meeting With The US President To Be Considered A World Power

Russian Senator Alexey Pushkov (@Alexey_Pushkov) wrote in his Twitter account:

"Hysteria in the US has begun surrounding the Putin-Trump meeting's results. Congressmen are spouting nonsense, stating that 'Russia has been trying to manipulate the US elections for 30 years.' Main-stream media are attacking Trump with delight. A monstrous resistance to the normalization of relations with Russia."

(Twitter.com/Alexey_Pushkov, July 16, 2018)

(Twitter.com/Alexey_Pushkov, July 16, 2018)

Pushkov also tweeted: "Lots of nonsense in the US media. Russia does not need a meeting with the head of the USA to be considered a great power. It is a great power due to its victory in the 2nd World War, its place in the UNSC, its nuclear status, its international role etc. The US approval has nothing to do with that."

(Twitter.com/Alexey_Pushkov, July 16, 2018)

Pushkov tweeted further: "One other [piece of] nonsense, which the US mass media and politicians keep repeating: They say through this meeting 'Putin has returned to the international arena and emerged from isolation. This is complete nonsense: isolation failed before it even got started and Putin has never left the international arena. And it's no thanks to the US that Russia plays the role of a leading world power."

(Twitter.com/Alexey_Pushkov, July 16, 2018)

Pushkov wasn't finished: "'I think, we'll have a terrific relationship at the end,' Trump said to Putin. This is exactly the nightmare of Trump's US and European adversaries. That's the reason, they anxiously feared the summit. This result is very distant at the moment, but the mere thought [of it] terrifies them."

(Twitter.com/Alexey_Pushkov, July 16, 2018)

Pushkov also settled accounts with Barack Obama: "It's funny to recall Obama's stupid [claims] defining Russia as a weak 'regional power.' Today, the summit in Helsinki has attracted the attention of the entire world. It is crystal clear to everyone: Russia and the US decide the fate of the world, the leaders of the leading world powers are meeting."

(Twitter.com/Alexey_Pushkov, July 16, 2018)

FM Lavrov: The Talks Were Better Than Awesome

Commenting on the summit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov termed the talks: "Better than awesome."

(Tass.com, July 16, 2018)

Federation Council Speaker Matviyenko: A Long Patient Dialogue Is Needed

Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko: "One should expect concrete practical results immediately. A long patient dialogue is needed. Further contacts are needed to continue to agree mutually acceptable solutions… I think the world has somewhat calmed down now."

(Tass.com, July 16, 2018)

Senator Kosachev: The Impression Is Positive

Konstantin Kosachev, the chair of the Federation Council's International Affairs Committee, said:

"The impression [of the meeting] is positive. It could have been worse or much worse, or it could have been just the way it happened."

According to Kosachev, this is the maximum possible result and it really may be "a good start for restoring cooperation on a systematic regular basis."

(Ria.ru, July 16, 2018)

Senator Bondarev: The American Attempt To Build A Unipolar World Has Failed; Hail To Putin For His Ability To Strengthen The Russian Credibility On The International Level

Viktor Bondarev, the chair of the Federation Council's Defense and Security Committee, stated:

"The Americans' attempt to build a unipolar world has failed. Everyone understands that. The whole world understands that it's impossible [to get] anywhere without Russia. The mere fact of the meeting, a dialogue – is a proof for that. Honor and praise to Putin for his ability to strengthen the Russian credibility on the international level, so the Americans and the EU are forced to look to the path of rapprochement with us despite their preference for confrontation and pressuring us with sanctions. No matter, they are compelled to come to Russia."

(Ria.ru, July 16, 2018)

First Deputy Speaker Of The Duma Melkinov: The Atmosphere Of The Summit Was Good

Ivan Melnikov, the first deputy speaker of the Russian State Duma, opined: "The first full-format meeting could hardly be expected to yield immediate solutions to major problems. More important was the atmosphere and the vector of the conversation: are there any perspectives. The atmosphere was good and the vector tended to dialogue, in concrete formats the Russian president told about."

(Tass.com, July 16, 2018)

MP Shvytkin: Both Leaders Were Interested In Negotiating

Yuri Shvytkin, deputy chair of the Duma's Defense Committee, said: "In my view, assessments given during the final by the President of Russia and the President of the USA press-conference underscore that both leaders were interested in negotiating. Yet, it's impossible to say that the negotiations are completed and that agreements were reached on various issues, which should be immediately implemented."

(Ria.ru, July 16, 2018)

Former Kremlin Foreign Policy Adviser Karaganov: 'I Don't Foresee A Substantial Improvement In Russia-American Relations In The Forthcoming Years'

Former Kremlin foreign policy adviser Sergey Karaganov offered a cautious approach:

"The defeated American and European political elites, hate Trump fiercely as a symbol of their defeat. Currently, chances are almost nil that Trump will be able to overcome this rooted Russophobia. The American and partially the Western elites have unilaterally engaged in a cold war against Russia and China. Definitely, it's not the kind of war that previously existed. Yet, these elites formed a very powerful internal rejection of what's happening in the world – America and its close associates are losing power. Thus, what we are witnessing is a malicious defensive reaction, which is not going to pass quickly. The elite in America and Western countries need time in order to get accustomed to the new state of things.

"During this time the Russian-American dialogue will recover discretely. In this context, the US president has enough possibilities to issue direct orders to the State Department, Ministry of Defense and other federal agencies to conduct this type of negotiations. Yet, it should be understood that such dialogues may only diminish the tension and slightly enhance the predictability between the two countries. I don't foresee an obvious improvement in the Russia-American relations in the forthcoming years, based on an analysis of the moods and positions of a major part of American and general Western elites."

(Rg.ru, July 17, 2018)

Former Russian FM Ivanov: It Is Meaningless To Talk About A Victory Or A Defeat In Helsinki

Igor Ivanov, former Russian Foreign Minister and president of the think-tank Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), stated:

"No one counted on a fundamental change in bilateral relations or major breakthrough agreements on specific problems, following the Helsinki summit. The appropriate conditions for that have no yet been created. A soccer game always concludes with the victor of one team and the defeat of the other, but it's meaningless to talk about who won or who lost at Helsinki: neither the Russian nor the American president counted on unilateral concessions by the other side, nor do they themselves intend to make any concessions."

(Kommersant.ru, July 18, 2018)