Trump unlikely to adopt new Russia policy – Kremlin
The Russian government has no expectations of a radical change in relations with the US under Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. Trump, who is set to be inaugurated on Monday, campaigned on a promise to change many of the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden, including those related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The incoming president has described the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev as a product of Biden’s diplomatic blunders, which he said had serious repercussions for all parties involved, including the US.
“It’s no secret that the [future] American administration may declare a political will for dialogue, but will not make any significant changes [in policy towards Russia],” Peskov said during a media briefing, reiterating Moscow’s position. “There can be no radical course correction.”
Peskov’s comments followed remarks by Trump’s nominee for Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent. The American investor told US senators during confirmation hearings on Thursday that he would escalate sanctions against Russia, if directed to do so by the incoming president. Peskov said such a statement was to be expected for a person seeking a job in the Trump administration.
Since Trump’s election victory last November, the Biden administration has implemented a series of policies escalating US pressure on Russia. These included authorizing Ukraine to fire American-donated long-range missiles deep inside Russian territory – a move crossing Moscow’s declared ‘red line’ – ramping up the delivery of military aid to Ukraine, and imposing sanctions targeting Russia’s international oil trade.
The outgoing administration is trying to “spoil the whole thing for the next administration before the end of their mandate,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated earlier this week, while discussing the government transition in Washington. The top diplomat denounced this perceived sabotage as inappropriate “from the moral point of view.”
