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Russia, US fail to coordinate steps on international arena so far, notes ambassador

At the same time, the envoy stressed that fundamental interests of Russia and the United States have almost never clashed, and the two states have no territorial disputes

PRINCETON /New Jersey/, November 30. /TASS/. Russia and the United States are currently unable to organize "skillful work" to coordinate joint steps on the international arena, Russia’s US Ambassador Anatoly Antonov said.

"We bear a special responsibility for peace and security on the planet. That is why we have to be cautious, responsible, avoid confrontation, and coordinate, where possible, the steps on global arena," he said, speaking at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

"So far it has not been possible to organize such a skilful work. Moreover, Russia is defined as an ‘adversary’ in the U.S. strategic documents," the Russian diplomat continued. "It seems that political and economic sanctions, media attacks, attempts to isolate Russia are used by certain politicians to bring our country to its knees, force it to change the course of its foreign policy."

He expressed hope that his today’s audience would "understand our desire to preserve and strengthen Russian sovereignty."

"We are not doing that at the expense of the security of other states, including the United States," Antonov added.

The ambassador went on to say that fundamental interests of Russia and the United States have almost never clashed, and the two states have no territorial disputes.

"During the nineties, a very hard time for my country, we put too much trust in the outer world, counted on the help and readiness of other countries to build a common and indivisible security, with no room for the weak and strong ones, where everyone would have equal rights and responsibilities," the ambassador recalled.

However, he cited US writer and journalist Chris Kanthan to describe the events that followed: "The Globalists did trap the bear in 1991 when the USSR failed. However, rather than befriending the bear, they caged it and then starved, tortured and humiliated it for the next eight years. That’s when the bear tore down the cage and fought back".

"I would like to point out that from historical standpoint the fundamental interests of our countries have almost never clashed," Antonov continued. "Let’s leave aside the time after the October Revolution, when it took years for the U.S. to recognize and accept a young Soviet Republic. Even the 'Cold War' was a conflict of ideologies rather than basic national interests. I must emphasize - we have no territorial claims to each other."

He said that Russian Empress Catherine the Great supported the U.S. in its struggle for independence, while Emperor Alexander the Second and Abraham Lincoln called each other "good friends." He also recalled that Russia and the United States fought side by side against Nazism and mentioned the historic encounter between the Soviet and US troops on the Elbe River.

"These few, yet important examples show the significant benefits we can provide for the Russians, the Americans and the entire world when we join forces against global threats," he said.