WASHINGTON, July 5. /TASS/. Russia’s Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak is undoubtedly the best known foreign diplomat in Washington today. In addition, he is considered by many to be the most influential one so far. However, after nine years of working in the US capital, he is frustrated by the general interest in his personality rather than flattered, he said in an interview with TASS.
When asked whether such unusual popularity for a diplomat is flattering, Kislyak stated that this rather saddens him. "This popularity is based on false narratives and lies with respect to what we do here at the embassy," he explained. "I sometimes feel sorry for those the Americans who endlessly dig up some fake news about Russia instead of tackling serous issues facing their own country," he stressed.
The matter is that the opposition Democratic Party and the mass media who work hand in glove with them are trying to catch the Trump administration "red-handed" for any alleged ties with Russia referring to some past contacts between Republican officials and the Russian ambassador. Both US and Russian leaders strongly reject such rumors. Kislyak castigated them as "a pack of lies" in his interview.
According to the diplomat, "strange as it may seem, in real life popularity neither helps nor hinders [the ambassador’s] daily routine." "What impedes it is something entirely different, namely, the poisoned atmosphere, in which we have to work," he lamented.
Kislyak is well aware of the fact that political cartoons and even jokes are dedicated to him in America. Some are even funny," he said, declining to give any examples and explained that "the humor is mostly unkind with regard to our American partners."
Americans did not meddle in UN nomination
At the same time, Kislyak does not think that the US prevented his nomination as head of the new UN Counterterrorism Office. "I am sure there were no behind-the-scenes moves during the nomination of the Russian Under-Secretary-General, including by the US administration," the ambassador said.
"I believe the UN Secretary General made a good choice by appointing an experienced Russian diplomat as his deputy," he added. "Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov is a great professional, and the UN will benefit from such an appointment."
Speaking about himself, Kislyak added that both his family and himself are happy that he will return home to Russia soon.
Earlier reports said that Kislyak could have moved to New York in the capacity of UN Under-Secretary-General after completing his tenure in Washington. However, the choice of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres fell on Vladimir Voronkov who used to be head of Russia’s Permanent Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna.