MOSCOW, April 30. /TASS/. Washington in recent days was intentionally fanning tensions in relations with Moscow in order to maximize the impression of relief from a possible meeting of President Joseph Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the board chairman of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Discussion Club Valdai, Andrei Bystritsky, told TASS in an interview.
"It looks like the US side is trying to fan tensions as much as possible ahead of the presidents’ meeting so that everybody will be able to feel tremendous relief afterwards. This motivation is certainly present," Bystritsky said.
He believes that this is not the sole underlying factor that may explain Washington’s provocative actions in the light of plans for a Russian-US summit.
"Apart from the wish to take the most advantageous position there is a demonstration of attitude and some sort of psychological and political pressure. It is an attempt to make us agree to a subordinate position. No integral relations with an equal partner are in sight. There will never be such a general attitude, when a partner shows the genuine will to settle some misunderstandings or some private conflicts that inevitably occur in life," Bystritsky said.
In particular, the expert pointed to the American side’s statements about a need for a dialogue with Russia only on those issues that were convenient and beneficial for the United States. He stressed that the political elite in the United States remained split and that was the reason why there was no consistent and rational policy on the Russian track.
"The elite has not rallied together under Biden. It is impossible to believe that the US administration has regained all leverage of running the country. By and large we can see that there is no balance and no well-considered policy Washington wants to pursue. It is the other way round, the vision of the situation is very simple, they will be stepping up pressure on and on and on," Bystritsky said.
About expectations from a meeting of Russian and US leaders Bystritsky said that in reality some positive changes might occur after it.
"It would be wrong to overestimate such positive shifts or expect something very good, though. Its outcome would be optimistic, if some new groundwork, some new normality were achieved: relations may still be not very good, but at the same time stay rational. Many things that the US side is doing now are irrational. The purpose is to annoy and to exert psychological pressure," he said.