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Problems in Russia-US ties solvable, joint efforts needed — Putin

Putin said an unprecedented anti-Russian campaign has been launched in the US

SOCHI, October 19./TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is confident that problems in relations between Russia and the US can be solved, but joint efforts towards that are needed.

"We do have positive things to discuss. But I am speaking about what impedes this. You have hysteria there, we show displeasure - you are taking down flags, closing diplomatic missions. So what is good in it? This is all the result of amassed problems," he said. "Can they be solved or not? I think this is possible. Let us work towards this together. We need your advice and recommendations, this is what we get together for at the Valdai Club," he said.

Putin said an unprecedented anti-Russian campaign has been launched in the US. "I can’t understand why you are surprised by my critical attitude to the activity of the former and the present American administration," he stressed. "It is in the US that an anti-Russian campaign was launched for no reason. Somebody simply lost the election to Mr. Trump, the whole blame was put on Russia and frantic anti-Russian hysteria was launched. I cannot call it otherwise. Any issue, any failure of somebody is associated with Russia. (They say) on any issue: look for the Russian trace, and they immediately find it," he said.

Putin said he was relying on facts, not on stereotypes in his negative view. In particular, he mentioned the fact of the elimination of chemical weapons, the fact of the elimination of weapons-grade plutonium, the fact of West’s support for separatism and radicalism in the North Caucasus, air attacks on Belgrade without UN Security Council’s sanctioning that, and an intervention in Iraq.

"But this does not mean that our relations saw nothing good in the previous years," Putin went on, citing among positive developments support for Russia’s WTO bid, relations with US leaders. "I will never forget, for example, Bill Clinton’s support as I was making first steps back as prime minister. I remember (President) Boris Nikolayevich (Yeltsin) sent me to New Zealand instead of him, where I got acquainted with Clinton," he recalled. "We established very good, positive, so kind human relations with him," Putin said.