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Pence's Munich Speech Shows US Resolve To Push Own Interests At All Cost- Russian Diplomat
Sumaira FH Published February 16, 2019 | 08:00 PM
US Vice President Mike Pence's speech at the Munich Security Conference has shown that the United Sates is determined to pursue its foreign policy interests regardless of possible destructive ramifications for the international security, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Saturday
In his speech earlier in the day, Pence urged Europe to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as legitimate president and follow example of the states that are opposing construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will bring Russian gas via the Baltic Sea to the bloc. He also stated that "time has come" for Europe to follow the US lead in withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and stop circumventing Washington's reinstated sanctions against Tehran, branding the latter as the "leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world."
"The end of the speech leaves no doubt that the American side aims to push its approaches despite any costs, despite any devastating consequences for the international security system," Ryabkov told reporters.
Ryabkov also noted "extremely harsh statements on Iran and Venezuela" and the claim to "unopposed US leadership on all issues."
The diplomat also stressed that Pence mentioned the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats from the United States among the administration's foreign policy achievements.
"Having done the same and always responding to such provocative steps in kind, we, at least, do not tout it as one of the results of our work. We believe that this should not be this way. Everything else [except for this in Pence's speech] is predictable," he added.
In March, US expelled 60 Russian diplomats, including 12 UN employees, and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle as a sign of solidarity with London, which accused Moscow of having a role in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK city of Salisbury, the allegations that Russia has strongly dismissed.
In response, Russia declared 58 employees of the US embassy in Moscow and two employees of the US consulate in Yekaterinburg persona non grata and ordered them out.
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