Interview of Al.А. Gromyko to Swiss newspaper «Tagesanzeiger»

On February 20, 2017, IE RAS Director, RAS Corresponding member Al.А. Gromyko gave a comprehensive interview to Swiss newspaper «Tagesanzeiger», headed «The dispute with the West may last for years or even decades».

IE RAS Director answered the questions on present state of Russia-West relations in light of ongoing Ukrainian crisis, Crimea annexation and D. Trump’s victory in US Presidential election.

Аl.А. Gromyko marked the accusations of Russia for interfering in US election and plotting hacker attacks as absurd. He stressed that «Crimea is beyond any trade, it is a part of Russia affirmed by the Russian Constitution … If Crimea had not rejoined Russia, the latter would have lost its access to the Black and, consequently, Mediterranean seas, and would not have been able to carry out military operations in Syria… Crimea is not a matter of ideology or politics, it is a matter of strategy and military order… If the West, following its interests, broke the international law many times (in Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Iraq, Lybia), then why would Russia go against its interests?»

The biggest problem in Russia-West relations, according to Аl.А. Gromyko, is not in the sanctions, but in the situation in the East of Ukraine. If western politicians continue to drown Ukraine in the geopolitical game for escalation of the Russia-NATO confrontation, there will be no progress in realization of Minsk agreements. Russia and the West had gone through even worse times in their history. So the present confrontation will eventually end one day. But politicians must demonstrate their will to settle the conflict, or the dispute between the parties can last for years or even decades.

Full interview enclosed.