Сешнс на вертеле

[tijd.livejournal.com]

Как и ожидалось, больше всего Сешнса выбили из равновесия вопросы Камалы Хэррис.

Интересный момент - признание о том, что в кампании Трампа обсуждалась необходимость налаживания "гармоничных" отношений с Россией.

HARRIS: Are you aware of any communications with any Trump officials or did you have any communications with any officials about Russia or Russian interests in the United States before January 20?
SESSIONS: No. I may have had some conversations, and I think I did, with the general strategic concept of the possibility of whether or not Russia and the United States could get on a more harmonious relationship and move off the hostility. The Soviet Union did in fact collapse. It's really a tragic strategic event that we're not able to get along better than we are today.

Интересно, что Сешнс рассуждает про "get along better than we are today" в то время, как его бывшие коллеги в Сенате готовятся голосовать о новых санкциях против России.

Вспоминается примечательное интервью Сешнса 31 июля 2016.

ACOSTA: Do you in your view is Vladimir Putin a good leader or a bad leader? Is he a good man or a bad man, in your view?
SESSIONS: What we need -- we have a lot of bad leaders around the world that operate in ways we would never tolerate in the United States. But the question is can we have a more peaceful, effective relationship with Russia. Utilizing interests that are similar in a realistic way to make this world a safer place and get off this dangerous hostility with Russia. I think it's possible...
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1607/31/sotu.01.html

В этот день активно обсуждалась история про изменение республиканской платформы, по случаю чего из Бориса Эпштейна вдруг полезла пропаганда: "Russia did not seize Crimea. We can talk about the conflict that happened between Ukraine and the Crimea… But there was no seizure by Russia."

На пресс-конференции в марте Сешнс упомянул про разговор с Кисляком об Украине: "And, so, we talked about – a little bit about terrorism, as I recall, and somehow the subject of the Ukraine came up". Теперь про это "somehow" он рассказывает немного по-другому.

MCCAIN: Over the last few weeks the administration has characterized your previously undisclosed meetings with Russia ambassador Kislyac as meetings you took in your official capacity as a U.S. Senator and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. As chairman of the that committee, let me ask you a few questions about that. At these meetings did you raise concerns about Russia invasion of Ukraine or annexation of Crimea?
SESSIONS: I did, Senator McCain, and I would like to follow up a little bit on that. That's one of the meetings -- that's one of the issues that I recall explicitly. The day before my meeting with the Russian ambassador, I’d met with the Ukrainian ambassador, and I heard his concerns about Russia, and so I raised those with Mr. Kislyak, and he gave, as you can imagine, not one inch. Everything they did, the Russians had done, according to him was correct, and I remember pushing back on it, and it was a bit testy on that subject.

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Апчхи

[tijd.livejournal.com]

В понедельник Сергей Лавров ответил на вопрос журналиста:

Вопрос: В заявлении Сенатора США Л.Грэма прямо прозвучали слова об ужесточении санкций. Когда они уже, на Ваш взгляд, успокоятся?
С.В.Лавров: Видите, Вы уже сами все сказали. Зачем мне на каждый чих реагировать – я не медицинский эксперт.

Сегодня сенаторы подавляющим большинством (97 на 2) приняли обещанные санкции против России. Пакет санкций был пристегнут к новым санкциям против Ирана. Для преодоления возможности президентского вето необходимо, чтобы за закон проголосовало больше 2/3 конгрессменов в обеих палатах. Посмотрим, как пойдет дело в нижней палате.

The measure lawmakers voted on Wednesday would give Congress the chance to block any efforts by the Trump administration — or any other president, for that matter — to roll back sanctions without the consent of Congress.
It would also codify existing sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea and involvement in the war in eastern Ukraine.
The measure would then apply new sanctions against Russia for its activities in Syria, where the Kremlin is supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and for its meddling in last year’s U.S. presidential election.
The punitive measures in the legislation are focused on various areas, including the Russian intelligence and defense sectors, parts of its energy sector, and its metals, mining, and railways economy. It also includes measures to better track and combat corruption and illicit financing structures that lead back to Russia.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-overwhelming-votes-to-curtail-trumps-power-to-ease-up-on-russia-sanctions/2017/06/14/8c02d73a-5134-11e7-be25-3a519335381c_story.html



Из прошлых санкций одна из наименее болезненных касается отобранных участков в Мэриленде и Нью-Йорке. МИД РФ угрожающе требует вернуть их обратно. Мария Захарова: "Считаем действия властей США абсолютно неприемлемыми, поскольку они грубо нарушают положения Венской конвенции о дипломатических сношениях 1961 года. Требуем незамедлительно вернуть нам то, что отобрано совершенно незаконно." Сергей Кисляк: "It is ours. We are going to get them back." Посмеет ли отказать такому уважаемому дипломату администрация Трампа?
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/shuttered-russian-compounds-in-u-s-may-be-re-opened/