“In the recent phone call between President Putin and President-elect Trump, the two leaders talked about the principles of mutual respect – ideas which they share with other heads of state from prominent world powers. If such mutual respect cannot be similarly established on a personal level, it is bound to fail,” Page said.
He also lambasted Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for “deep sense of mutual mistrust” between the leaderships of the two countries during her tenure as Secretary of State, stressing the role the next top diplomat should play in mending the ties.
“Leaders in Moscow value an honest, trusted relationship and were smart enough to almost immediately see through her disingenuous approach,” Page stressed.
Since 2014, relations between Russia and the United States deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Washington and their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 and over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive and undermine global stability.
The tensions have also exacerbated in light of the situation in Syria, where since the beginning of the civil war in 2011, the United States and some of its allies have been supporting the so-called moderate opposition. Russia recognizes President Bashar Assad as the legitimate authority in Syria, stressing that the Syrian people should be free to choose their leadership without outside intervention.
