MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Former Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul told The Hill that such attitude toward the Russian ambassador could undermine US-Russian relations.
"Kislyak’s job is to meet with government officials and campaign people and I think he’s good at his job. People should meet with the Russian ambassador and it’s wrong to criminalize that or discourage it. I want the Russian government to be as informed as possible about the American political process. When I was ambassador, it was frustrating how poorly informed the Russian government was. It’s a good thing to meet with him, not a bad thing," McFaul told The Hill.
John Beyrle, another US diplomat who worked in Russia under George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, also expressed concerns over the scandals, stressing, however, the need for the investigation into the alleged Russian influence on the US presidential election.
In February, US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn announced his resignation after media reports, based on leaked information, that he had misled the Trump administration about the extent of his talks with Russian officials.
Earlier in the month, media reported that US Attorney General Jeff Sessions also had two meetings with Kislyak during the 2016 presidential campaign while he was a senator. Despite accusations, Sessions recused himself from the investigation.
