Ex-Reagan Adviser: World Would Be Living More Peacefully if Russia and US Had Good Relations

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The entire world would be living more peacefully if Washington and Moscow had good ties, former adviser to US President Ronald Reagan Suzanne Massie told Sputnik.

"I believe that America needs Russia and Russia needs America, and that we could do a great deal if we could find a way to get along together, which is now being spoiled," Massie said. "My impression and my true observation is that no people in the United States want anything but good relations with the Russians, and they want them very much. I believe if this could be achieved, that the world would be grateful to us, because the world would be living more peacefully."

Russia and America getting along, she added, "could certainly make the whole world feel comfortable."

Massie said wherever she has been to in the world she sees Russians and Americans getting along very well. She also noted that she has lectured in almost every US state, and has never seen anyone who wanted to have any war or any bad feelings between Russia and the United States.

"I'm sick and tired of hearing our people talk about bombs all the time. We talk about bombs far too much. I will say Gorbachev never did that. Thank God. And I will say we didn't either," Massie said. "I am very proud of both of our presidents. I think it's wonderful that they were such friends. And then they learned to trust each other... I can tell you I'm very grateful to both of those men for keeping the peace and even for doing something that has never been done again."

Massie stressed that the two countries must somehow solve their differences diplomatically.

"I'm against war.We need to find a better way. And we can do it," she said.

Massie advised Reagan on Russia from 1984-1988 and played a significant role in the final years of the Cold War. She taught the president a Russian proverb, "trust, but verify," which he famously used during nuclear disarmament talks with the Soviet Union.

Massie is fluent in Russian and has written numerous books on Russian history and culture, including bestsellers "Land of the Firebird: The Beauty of Old Russia," as well as "Trust but Verify: Reagan, Russia and Me."