Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 11 May 2017
What US-Russia crisis? Trump seeks closer ties in WH meeting

ence in the U.S. election
Continued from front
and possible collusion by
Also under scrutiny, diplo- Trump’s campaign. Lavrov
matic wrangling going on called it a U.S. decision,
over a Moscow-backed echoing Putin, who said
deal to stabilize Syria. Yet Russia had nothing to do
Trump’s stunning decision with Comey’s dismissal.
on the eve of the meeting “Was he fired? You’re kid-
to fire the FBI director over- ding,” Lavrov said sarcas-
seeing a Russia-related in- tically, feigning surprise as
vestigation injected further he started his day of meet-
intrigue into Lavrov’s first ings in Washington.
visit to Washington since Comey’s dismissal esca-
2013. lated concerns in both
Trump “raised the possibil- parties that Trump may be
ity of broader coopera- trying to undermine an in-
tion on resolving conflicts in vestigation that appears to
the Middle East and else- be gaining steam. Trump
where,” according to a insisted that wasn’t the
White House statement. case. He said Wednesday
Trump and Lavrov met in he fired Comey because
private, though both sides he “was not doing a good
President Donald Trump meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, at the White cast the session as a sign job.”
Still, the overlap between
House in Washington, Wednesday, May 10, 2017. President Donald Trump on Wednesday wel- of ties having improved
comed Vladimir Putin’s top diplomat to the White House for Trump’s highest level face-to-face since the U.S. leader’s as- the investigation and
contact with a Russian government official since he took office in January. sessment of them last Trump’s diplomatic efforts
(Russian Foreign Ministry Photo via AP) month as at an “all-time made for uncomfortable
low.” On Wednesday, they optics. Russia’s Foreign
focused on areas of bud- Ministry tweeted a photo
ding agreement and Lav- of Trump shaking hands
rov sought to blame the with Lavrov and the Russian
recent acrimony on former Embassy posted another
President Barack Obama. of the president greet-
“The previous administra- ing another participant in
tion bent over backwards the meeting: Ambassador
to undermine the solid Sergey Kislyak, a central
foundation of our rela- character in various Russia-
tions,” Lavrov told report- related investigations be-
ers at the Russian Embassy cause of his contacts with
after meeting Trump. “We several individuals close to
have to start at a very low Trump.
level.” Lavrov chalked up the
In contrast, he credited controversy to “noise” and
Trump and Secretary of to “false news” — invoking
State Rex Tillerson, whom Trump’s frequent referenc-
he met earlier in the day, es to the Russia allegations
with taking a “business- as “fake news.”
like” approach that is “free On Syria, where Russia has
from ideology,” focused backed President Bashar
on reaching agreements. Assad’s forces and the U.S.
None were apparently has supported anti-Assad
reached Wednesday. rebels, the talks appeared
The meeting was Trump’s to indicate a slight narrow-
highest level face-to-face ing of differences.
contact with a Russian of- Russia, Turkey and Iran last
ficial since taking office week agreed on a plan for
and in itself represented four “de-escalation zones”
modest progress. The last in the Arab country to quell
time Lavrov visited the a civil war that has killed
American capital was some 400,000 people and
before Russia annexed contributed to global refu-
Crimea from Ukraine and gee and terror crises since
intervened militarily in Syria erupting in 2011. The U.S.
to help President Bashar isn’t party to the deal and
Assad — actions that fu- has reacted cautiously, es-
eled U.S.-Russian tensions. pecially given its misgivings
The Russian diplomat stead- about Iran’s role.
fastly refused to weigh in But Lavrov said he detect-
on Trump’s decision to fire ed a U.S. willingness to par-
James Comey, the former ticipate, especially with a
FBI director, who had been zone being formed in Syr-
overseeing investigations ia’s south, near the border
of alleged Russian interfer- with Israel and Jordan.q