OPINION / VIEWPOINT
US expelling diplomats goes beyond usual decency, let alone norms of diplomacy: Russian scholar
Published: Apr 20, 2021 11:22 PM
Photo: VCG

Photo: VCG


Editor's Note:

Tensions between Russia and the US have further escalated recently, with the US imposing new sanctions on Russian officials and entities and the two expelling each other's diplomats. These events happened only a few days after US President Joe Biden had a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and proposed a summit in a third country in the coming months. What do all these ups and downs indicate for bilateral relations? How likely is a summit to take place? Global Times (GT) reporter Wang Wenwen talked to Victor Larin (Larin), academician and principal researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences, over these issues.

GT: Is the expulsion symbolic or does it have real impact on Russia-US relations?

Larin: The mutual expulsion of diplomats is not an accident. It is a deliberate manifestation of a significant deterioration in relations. The Biden administration was the initiator of such deterioration, and Russia only adequately and mirrored the response to the unfriendly act of Washington. 

Moreover, in their anti-Russian and anti-Putin rhetoric, American politicians have already gone beyond the usual decency, let alone the norms of diplomacy. As a result, Russia was forced to recall its ambassador from Washington for consultations and recommend the American ambassador to visit the State Department and, probably, ask his superiors to what extent the White House intends to whip up a confrontational atmosphere. So it was not the expulsion of diplomats that affected relations, but the undiplomatic behavior of Washington that provoked this conflict.

GT: What are US motives for proposing to hold talks with Russia on the one hand and imposing sanctions and expelling Russian diplomats on the other? What do the ups and downs indicate for US-Russia relations?

Larin: The Democrats, building their model of relations with Russia (as well as with China), are trying to primarily use the methods of the carrot and stick. Therefore, direct insults are followed by invitations to dialogue, during which the Americans certainly intend to criticize and lecture Russia again, as was the case in Anchorage at the American-Chinese meeting.

According to media reports, Putin will deliver a speech on Thursday at an online climate change summit hosted by Biden. But in political and public circles in Russia, there is a very strong disposition to refuse any contact with Biden in the near future. 

It is obvious that his public accusations and actions against Russia are above all playing to the American public. Biden portrays a tough guy who dashingly deals with the main threats to American well-being - Russia and China. 

Many in Russia are convinced that a country that elects people like Trump as its presidents is very, very sick. And this country is dangerous to the outside world. This infection is more dangerous than COVID-19. Time will tell which expert was right. But today everyone is becoming very anxious because both public play and schizophrenia, if it concerns big politics, are dangerous with the direst consequences.

GT: Nikolay Patrushev, the secretary of the Russian Security Council, told US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday about the readiness to continue dialogue in order to normalize bilateral relations. Do you think the current stage is ripe for the two to normalize relations? How likely is it that a Putin-Biden summit will happen?

Larin: Patrushev's statement is just a diplomatic statement of the fact that Russia is always open for dialogue and ready to normalize relations. But the current mood of Biden and his entourage makes the dialogue possible on a very narrow range of issues only, which the US administration intends to choose at its discretion. 

Does Russia need this? This is a big question. To be honest, I don't think there will be any high-level meetings in the near future. The United States is not in the mood for an equal dialogue, and Russia does not accept any other format and style of discussion. Today, the United States is keen on forging an anti-Russian and anti-Chinese alliance, and until it realizes that it has failed, it will pursue this aggressive policy. And Russia will be forced to answer it by various means.

GT: During his call with Putin, Biden reaffirmed his goal of building a stable and predictable relationship with Russia consistent with US interests. What do you think of such a relationship? 

Larin: We need to understand what Biden puts into words by "stable and predictable relationship." I suspect that for him this is nothing more than empty phrase, a dead cliché. 

GT: What do you foresee in the Russia-US relationship in the near future? Some believe when bilateral relations are in a deadlock, they would try to find common ground such as strategic arms control. But negotiations on arms control require basic mutual trust. Does such trust exit? 

Larin: Unfortunately, the future of Russia-US relations is seen in gloomy tones, because the United States does not intend to improve them today. It is more comfortable with the situation of confrontation.