MOSCOW, July 04. /ITAR-TASS/. Many American politicians do not even try to consider Moscow’s arguments regarding the situation in Ukraine, though Moscow’s actions not only comply with the international law, but even protect it, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with the Kommersant daily.
While commenting on the cooperation between Russia and the US, the high-ranking diplomat said Russia’s position was that “decisions are stable only if they are based on a balance of interests and on approaches acceptable for all, which means they reflect those interests.”
“This is true for any problems - beginning from a crisis situation in any country and, so to say, the issues of joint efforts in preserving the polar bear populations in the Arctiс,” he said.
The deputy foreign minister added as the American side suggested economic and military-political cooperation, including in control over armaments, Russia had never ignored them.
“Right on the contrary - we did react, and offered our suggestions,” he said. “In some cases, they had common approaches with those presented by the US, and in some cases we were moving further ahead, as we followed our interests.”
However, “the events developed in the way, that many discussions remained only on paper or at the level of exchanging views".
“Absolutely different instincts prevailed at the White House and in Congress - the instincts of punishing Russia for something, which, in their opinion, it had done wrong. Many politicians on the Capitol Hill do not have a slightest desire to look into our reasons. We are being accused of breaching the international law and what not.”
“Anyway, everything that has happened in Crimea and Sevastopol, everything we call for regarding Ukraine and its south-east, not only complies with the requirements of the international law. It is clearly fighting for abiding by provisions of the international law and its protection,” he said.
Still, the West would not listen to those reasons, the deputy foreign minister continued.
“They [the reasons] are being dropped immediately. People follow some intellectual tunnel, move within a track, which takes them to a certain destination. At the same time, in other situations those very people fight for pluralism, variety of choice, approaches and so on. Strangely enough, whenever they are speaking about their country, they keep stressing it unites the variety, it is based on a variety of views, mutual criticism, complex compromises and social agreement.