NEW YORK, April 10. /TASS/. Moscow has to decide if it wants a relationship of competition or cooperation with Washington, US National Security Adviser Lieutenant General Herbert McMaster told Fox News Sunday.
When speaking on US-Russian relations, he said that "today, it can be whatever the Russians want it to be."
"Do they want it to be a relationship of competition and potential conflict? I don’t see how that’s in Russian interest. Or do they want it to be where a relationship in which we can find areas of cooperation that are in our mutual interest?" McMaster said adding "how is it in anyone’s interest that this conflict in Syria and this catastrophe in the greater Middle East continue?"
According to McMaster, Russia "can be part of the solution or they can continue what has been really a very sophisticated campaign of subversion against Western interests and a campaign of subversion and intervention on behalf of a murderous regime in the Middle East."
In light of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s upcoming visit to Russia, the US national security adviser said that "this is what our secretary of state will be exploring with the Russian leadership this week and the president is determined to do everything he can to advance American interests."
"And if that entails working with others to come to solutions in the world that enhance our security, the president will do that," McMaster added. "And it’s really now up to the Russian leadership to reevaluate what they are doing in the Middle East," he said.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is scheduled to visit Russia next week in order to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. "On April 11-12, US Secretary of State Tillerson will make a working visit to Moscow," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "This will be his first visit to our country as Secretary of State in the Trump administration."