UNITED NATIONS: Russia’s UN ambassador says relations between Moscow and Washington are “practically non-existent,” which he says is bad not only for both countries but for the world and he sees little prospect for improvement anytime soon.

Vassily Nebenzia said in a recent wide-ranging interview with a small group of journalists that the Trump administration should offer some incentives to North Korea to move forward toward denuclearisation, saying the situation “is stalemated at the moment.” Russia and China have backed an easing of sanctions to spur momentum, but the US insists that North Korea must first make major steps towards eliminating its nuclear programme.

“I’m concerned that it doesn’t roll back” to the 2017 era of increasing nuclear and missile tests and escalating rhetoric, Nebenzia said. “I think that the US hopefully is starting to understand that the situation may go (back).” As for Iran, Nebenzia said he worries about US strategy if its sanctions don’t bring about the changes in behaviour the Trump administration wants. He sees “a danger if they go to the limits.” “I’m worried if anybody wants to go to war with Iran, and that is the enigma and the question what is the strategy about Iran?” Nebenzia asked.

He said the US and Russia need to talk about global issues including strategic stability, terrorism, narcotics and regional conflicts, and he thinks President Donald Trump “understands pretty well that it’s better to cooperate.” But he said because Russia has become a major issue in US domestic policies accused of hacking and interfering in the 2016 US elections which is being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller “and given the vulnerabilities that drift around this administration, I don’t see too bright prospects for improving (relations) any time soon.” Looking more broadly at the US position in the world under President Donald Trump, whose overarching policy is “America First,” Nebenzia said he doesn’t see the United States retreating.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2018