MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. Those who will rise to power in Washington soon should realize that using the language of political dictating and sanction pressures in relations with Russia will be useless, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS in an interview.
"Regardless of who is at the helm in Washington the sole clue to better relations with us will be the United States’ decision to give up attempts to act to the detriment of Russian interests, showing no readiness to follow the fundamental principles of understanding, respect for sovereignty and the sovereign equality of states, and in defiance of the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of Russia, but on the contrary, meddling in Russia’s internal affairs in the most challenging way. The United States behaves as if it is a social and political entity in its own right that enjoys greater powers than all other members of the international community," he said.
Ryabkov doubts any of the US presidential candidates would be prepared to abandon the concept of American exclusiveness.
"We know that this ideology imbues entire US society, in particular, the elite, the social strata that nominate candidates for the top executive post in the United States," Ryabkov said. "I don’t expect any dramatic changes for the better in the United States by virtue of this American mentality."
"But in the final count there possibly is a chance that those who succeed the current Administration will be able to make a conclusion, quite obvious to us, that using the language of political dictating and sanction pressures in relations with Russia will be futile and useless. Under pressure Russia will be getting stronger. Our country’s foreign policy is pro-active and the way I see it, it is attractive. Many in the world are watching with interest Moscow’s foreign policy course."
Yet Ryabkov believes that "even without abdicating their ‘innate’ ideology of American exclusiveness the political figures who will be governing the United States after the elections due next November will be able to adjust the current policy and try to find points of agreement with Russia for the sake of their own interests.
"In the world there are many problems that cannot be addressed on one’s own," Ryabkov said. "Only collective efforts and the search for compromises and a balance of interests may bear fruit."
Russia’s nuclear deterrence potential directly depends on US missile shield plans
Russia’s nuclear deterrence potential has direct relation to the US plans to deploy a global missile shield system, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said.
According to Ryabkov, Moscow "cannot but take into account the increasingly alarming developments in the areas that have their impact on the strategic balance."
"Russia’s position of rejecting the US initiative on the creation of the global missile shield system is well known," the Russian deputy foreign minister said.
"This initiative is being implemented dynamically and the development in this sphere is proceeding in very many regions, including Europe and Asia, which has direct relation to the Russian nuclear deterrence potential," he said
There are also other issues that "cannot be left aside" any longer, Ryabkov said. "These are the well-known US efforts to create precision means in their non-nuclear, conventional armament but which can be used for strategic distances."
"There is the concept of a prompt global strike and there are its options. A lot of new means appear in the sphere of conventional armaments," the Russian deputy foreign minister said.
"I believe our colleagues both in Washington and other capitals will gradually come to understand that Russia, if the question is formulated in this way, is not trying to create artificial obstacles for work but is demonstrating a responsible and solely possible approach to the tasks of ensuring its security and maintaining global stability," the Russian deputy foreign minister said.