The publication of the transcript of negotiations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky demonstrates that it is dangerous to negotiate with Washington. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
“I agree with many estimates that this, of course, changes the picture and not even the picture, but, probably, the form of relations between states, between countries, between leaders, between politicians. Because now, now, as probably the third day after this scandal, everyone understands that it’s dangerous to call Washington, to negotiate, to meet, ”Zakharova emphasized on Channel One.
Zakharova also called on the American side to shed light on a number of issues related to US participation in a number of international conflicts under Barack Obama.
“Please, introduce the world community to the speeches and corresponding transcripts of closed talks, telephone conversations of Mr. Obama with world leaders on international issues,” Zakharova urged.
Recall that on September 25, against the background of Donald Trump's accusations of exerting pressure on Vladimir Zelensky, the White House published a transcript of the telephone conversation between the two leaders, which took place on July 25. It turned out from the document that Trump and Zelensky were discussing the possibility of an investigation against former US Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who was a member of the board of directors of the Ukrainian oil and gas company Burisma. Also during the conversation, Vladimir Zelensky agreed with criticism from Donald Trump against the leaders of France and Germany - Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a press conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York called “indecent” the publication of the negotiations between Trump and Zelensky.
“There is diplomatic practice, and to put any issue to the public tear, with a loud, explosive voice, to declare that if this or that administration does not show us some note to its relatives or partners, then we will tear this administration to shreds ... Well Is it a democracy? How can one work at all in such conditions, ”the head of Russian diplomacy emphasized.
Publish all
After the publication of the negotiations between Trump and Zelensky, the opponents of the American president in the Democrat camp demanded the publication of his negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and several other world leaders.
“I believe that the most important thing here is to protect the national security of the United States and find out whether the president has undermined our security during conversations with other world leaders - especially with Vladimir Putin - while also acting out of the belief that it will be beneficial for his election campaign, ”Reuters quoted the head of Congressional Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff.
Earlier, CNN, citing sources, reported that the Trump administration has limited staff access to Trump’s negotiations with Putin and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
- House Head of Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff
- Reuters
- © Al Drago
In turn, the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said that the publication of the transcript of the negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is possible only by mutual agreement of the parties.
“In general, diplomatic practice, of course, does not provide for such publications,” RIA Novosti quoted Peskov as saying.
Back in March, the leaders of the three committees of the US House of Representatives, belonging to the Democratic Party, demanded that the White House submit documents to them regarding Trump’s negotiations with Vladimir Putin. They also stated the need to interrogate the translators who were present at the talks between the two leaders.
It is worth noting that not only the Democrats insist on declassifying the negotiations of the US leadership with foreign leaders. Ronna Romney McDaniel, Chairman of the Republican Party National Committee, urged Joe Biden to publish a transcript of his talks with representatives of Ukraine and China. Biden’s headquarters said in response that the former vice president does not have such authority.
Trump himself, after making public the record of negotiations with Zelensky, noted that he was ready to publish the results of his previous conversation with the Ukrainian president, as well as conversations of the Ukrainian leader with US Vice President Michael Pence.
"Undermining diplomacy"
The Trump administration’s decision to make public the transcript of talks between the president and his Ukrainian counterpart has been criticized in the United States. According to American experts, such actions undermine the diplomatic efforts of the United States.
“This is in any case an unfavorable precedent. It will definitely have a deterrent effect, ”said Richard Haas, president of the New York Council on Foreign Relations, in a conversation with the Wall Street Journal.
A similar point of view was expressed by ex-US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul.
“I am 100% against. Foreign leaders need the ability to communicate privately with our president. This situation creates a terrible precedent, ”he commented on the publication of the conversation between Trump and Zelensky to the same publication.
Former high-ranking official of the National Security Council under ex-President George W. Bush Michael Green said in an interview with USA Today that the publication of the negotiations between Trump and Zelensky will affect relations with other world leaders.
“If these leaders consider it possible to publish transcripts of telephone conversations with them, then they will become limited in what they will be ready to communicate by phone, and this will make it difficult to coordinate efforts with friends and allies,” the American expert emphasized.
CNN national security expert, former employee of the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations Samantha Vinograd also believes that too much publicity will damage US relations with other countries.
“It is also likely that foreign colleagues will become less willing to make contact with the president and other US officials if they have to worry about the fact that one day the transcripts of their conversations may get into news reports or be attached to Congressional investigation materials "She said.
"Chain reaction"
The publication of the transcript of Trump and Zelensky's telephone conversations has become an extraordinary phenomenon in American politics, experts say.
As Vladimir Vasiliev, the chief researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada, noted in an interview with RT, such privacy is a necessary component of diplomacy at the highest level.
- White House
- globallookpress.com
- © Patrick van Katwijk
“This is not even a well-established international practice, it is a sacred cow of diplomacy,” Vasiliev said in an interview with RT.
According to him, communication between leaders or diplomats among themselves "implies trust, confidentiality." What happened with the publication of the decryption of the negotiations between Trump and Zelensky is “a blow to American statehood” and the international image of the United States, Vasiliev said.
“What is happening now is already striking the image of the United States. Now it’s dangerous to conduct any negotiations with Trump, because at any moment this conversation can be made public, ”Konstantin Blokhin, an expert at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in his conversation with RT.
According to Blokhin, openness directly contradicts the basic principles of diplomacy. Its inevitable consequence will be a rejection of compromises and, as a result, an increase in conflict in international relations.
“Diplomacy is the art of the possible. They lead her behind closed doors. This is done for one reason, not because leaders hide some secrets of great magnitude, but simply in order to negotiate and compromise. And if all these concessions or the entire negotiation process are demonstrated to the whole world, then this can cause image damage to both countries, ”the political scientist believes.
According to Vladimir Vasiliev, opponents of trump are trying to limit his actions in the field of foreign policy, putting them under control. Taking advantage of the precedent with declassifying negotiations with Zelensky, they will demand to declassify Trump's negotiations with other world leaders, including as part of the impeachment procedure. However, the consequences could go far beyond the US
“As the publication of Trump’s conversation with Zelensky showed, such actions can strike on both sides of the conversation. Opponents of the Ukrainian president are already demanding the publication of his conversations with Putin, the expert notes. - A very serious chain reaction may begin, which will lead to the fact that the accepted norms of diplomatic communication between states can change. The principle of mistrust will dominate in them. ”