Russia, US weathering rockiest time ever in diplomatic ties, says expert

The Russian-US relationship is going through its toughest time in the entire history of bilateral dialogue, but it may improve over the medium term, Chairman of the Foundation for the Development and Support of the Valdai International Discussion Club Andrei Bystritsky told TASS on Friday.

The expert made this statement on the 85th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the United States on November 16, 1933. On December 25, 1991, Russia became the legal successor to the Soviet Union.

"I cannot be sure that the relationship between Russia and the United States will improve tomorrow. But it seems to me that it is more likely to improve over the medium term," he said.

"No doubt, various challenges may arise on the way but, as a whole, Russia and the United States are quite reasonable countries with a creative population and are capable of shaping some mutually acceptable future, where everyone will feel comfortable," the expert stressed.

"The history of relations between Russia and the United States is a history filled with drama but this is more of a bright history rather than a dark one," he pointed out.

"In the 18th, 19th and 20th century, and even during the Cold War period and in the films about James Bond, the United States talked about relations with Russia as those between nemeses, though on an equal footing, and in most cases it spoke about this in a very ironic and good-natured manner," the expert noted.

In Bystritsky’s opinion, the deterioration of ties between Moscow and Washington is directly linked to America’s internal political turmoil.

"Now we are witnessing one of the most complicated periods in our relations marked by a lot of mistrust and mutual suspicion and there are a lot of disputable and incorrect moves," he pointed out.

The current downward spiral in bilateral relations stems from the shaky domestic political atmosphere in the United States, whose society is trudging through a huge and complicated transformation process, while choosing new goals and relations for the future. These are very serious problems and we are witnessing the consequences of this development today," Bystritsky said.

The expert also highlighted possible points of contact that could help Moscow and Washington in the future.

"First and foremost, this is the formula of globalization. The entire world is completely mutually dependent and the formula for the world depends not only on Russia and the United States but also on India, China and other countries," he explained.

"But the world needs regulation, it needs relations, it needs agreement and even methods to work out such accords. Governing the world is the basic point of contact," the expert said.