Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 20 July 2018

For Russia, Trump is creating more problems than he solves

By ANGELA CHARLTON worse," Gabuev said.
Associated Press Trump tweeted Thursday
MOSCOW (AP) — Having that his critics in the media
Donald Trump in the White "are pushing so recklessly
House is looking increas- hard and hate the fact that
ingly like a liability for the I'll probably have a good
Kremlin, rather than an as- relationship with Putin."
set. But don't expect Presi- Indeed, when Trump came
dent Vladimir Putin to say to office, many Russians
that out loud. hoped he would pave the
Russia's official assessment way for lifting sanctions
of Trump's high-stakes sum- and ending years of ten-
mit with Putin is carefully sions. But now, Gabuev
upbeat. In his first public said, "whether this bet on
comment on it, Putin on Trump for the long term is a
Thursday declared it "suc- smart one is hard to see."
cessful." In a possible dig at Trump's
That stands in sharp con- unpredictable presidency,
trast to the rain of criti- Putin on Thursday lauded
cism the U.S. president has Russia's "consistent, respon-
faced at home. And as sible, independent foreign
the days pass and Trump's policy."
comments about Mon- Putin had both good and
day's summit become bad things to say about
more and more contradic- Trump in a broad speech
tory, Moscow appears to Russian Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Russian ambassadors to foreign countries in Moscow, about foreign policy.
be quietly losing hope for a Russia, Thursday, July 19, 2018. The Russian leader praised
thaw in Russian-U.S. ties un- Associated Press Trump's mediation efforts in
der Trump. North Korea, but slammed
Putin doesn't blame Trump iting their nuclear arsenals in dealing with the U.S. different worlds. his protectionist trade poli-
for that. He blames Trump's or ending the war in Syria, The U.S.-Russia relationship In public, Russian officials cies and the decision to
opponents. Putin said. is "in some ways worse than have been consistent in pull out of the international
"Certain forces are trying to In a meeting at the Foreign during the Cold War," Putin their praise of the summit accord curbing Iran's nu-
disavow the results of the Ministry with Russia's am- said, "It's naive to think that and criticism of Trump's op- clear activities.
meeting in Helsinki," and bassadors to other coun- the problems would be ponents, while also exercis- He also lashed out at Eu-
hamper progress on what tries, Putin warned them to solved in a few hours." ing caution about taking rope and U.S.-dominated
they discussed, such as lim- "take to this into account" The Helsinki summit allowed aim at Trump himself. NATO, saying Russia would
them to start on "the path Behind the scenes, how- hit back with an "equiva-
to positive change," he ever, some members of the lent response" to the alli-
said, but added that he political and business elite ance's bases near Russia's
was cautious about the have a different assess- borders and other "aggres-
longer term. ment. sive steps." He didn't elabo-
"We will see how things de- "Trump's behavior was a rate.
velop further," Putin said, total disaster for long-term Russian politicians also criti-
evoking those in the U.S. prospects of the normaliza- cized proposals by U.S. law-
trying to prevent any im- tion of the U.S.-Russia rela- makers to question Trump's
provement in relations and tionship," said Alexander interpreter from the Helsinki
"putting narrow party inter- Gabuev of the Carnegie summit about what topics
ests above the national in- Moscow Center. the men discussed private-
terest." Trump has come under ly.
The lively debate in Wash- widespread domestic criti- At his joint news conference
ington is unthinkable in Rus- cism about the meeting with Putin, Trump said they
sia, where Putin has never with Putin both from Dem- discussed Syria "at length"
faced real political oppo- ocratic opponents and but was vague about the
sition and leads a country some Republicans. He has outcome. The Russian De-
that has never had a dem- made contradictory state- fense Ministry has said it is
ocratic transition of power. ments over whether he be- ready to implement what
While he and Trump seem lieves Russia interfered in it called agreements on in-
to be cut from the same the 2016 U.S. election. creased cooperation with
cloth, they come from very "He's made things much the U.S. military in Syria. q