Washington 'Sensitive to Any European Attempt to Move Closer to Russia'

The US delegation led by Senator John McCain showed its dissatisfaction with the recent visit of Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer to Moscow by "deliberately" boycotting the gala dinner which the Bavarian politician traditionally arranges at the Munich Security Conference.

A recent meeting between Seehofer and Russian President Vladimir Putin has resulted in "a small scandal" at the Munich Security Conference, the German magazine Spiegel Online wrote.

In an attempt to display its disapproval of Seehofer's visit to Moscow, the US delegation boycotted a traditional gala dinner organized by the Bavarian Prime Minister.

The boycott has once again demonstrated US sensitivity towards any European attempts to maintain friendly relations with Russia, the German magazine Spiegel Online wrote.

"The spontaneous boycott once again showed how tense relations between Washington and Moscow are, as well as how sensitive [Washington] is to any European attempt to move closer to Russia," the article said.

According to reports, only one of the US Senators attended the dinner party in Munich. Known for their negative attitude toward Russia, John McCain and several other politicians "deliberately ignored" the event.

Seehofer has been repeatedly criticized by his German colleagues for his attempts to maintain friendly relations with Russia. After he stressed the negative impact of anti-Russian sanctions on the German economy and paid a visit to Moscow, the politician was accused of playing into Putin's hands.

Earlier, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said that during his recent visit to Moscow, the Bavarian Prime Minister acted "solely in the interests of Germany" and did not attempt to pursue a course which was different from that of Berlin.