“I know him, probably, from the 90s of the last century. He worked as an assistant secretary of state for international organizations, I did the same in our Foreign Ministry. Then he worked as the acting representative of the USA in the Security Council. We crossed paths when I was sent to New York, and he already left the civil service, worked in various political science centers, ”the Russian minister said.
As noted by Lavrov, he periodically talked with Bolton and went with him to drink a cup of coffee.
“He is a very pleasant conversationalist, a very knowledgeable and erudite person. It's interesting to talk with him, ”he said.
At the same time, the Foreign Minister emphasized that in most cases they disagreed.
“He has a sharp style, relying on force methods, including military force methods. As you know, he promoted a lot of such initiatives in relation to modern crisis situations, ”Lavrov said.
The minister recalled that the president determines the policy in the USA.
“Let's be guided by what will happen, and then we will understand if there are changes or not,” he summed up.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that between him and former John Bolton, disagreements often arose during work. Pompeo also said that foreign leaders with the departure of John Bolton should not expect changes in US foreign policy.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, commenting on the dismissal of John Bolton, said that Russia does not expect any changes in connection with the shifts in the American administration. The deputy minister added that Moscow continues to judge by cases, not statements and intentions.
Russian President’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Bolton’s resignation an internal US affair.