MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Moscow sees Washington’s desire to drive a wedge between Russia and China, but it is not going to worsen its relations with Beijing just to make the United States happy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Bolshaya Igra (Big Game) program on Russia’s television Channel One.

Lavrov said he discussed the issue of Russian-Chinese relations at his talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC on December 10. "We won’t worsen our ties with China just to make the Americans happy," Lavrov stressed. "But the mere idea that goals should be achieved through positive things, by cultivating cooperation, rather than through sanctions and ultimatums, at least deserves recognition."

The Russian top diplomat also said at their latest meeting former US National Security Advisor and ex-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger noted that it would be ideal for the US if its relations with Moscow and Beijing were better than Russian-Chinese relations. "This is probably not very realistic," Lavrov emphasized.