TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Ties with US cannot get any worse under new Secretary of State: Kremlin

The Kremlin on Wednesday said ties with the US could not get any worse under next Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, after the sacking of Rex Tillerson.

  (Agence France-Presse)
Moscow, Russia
Wed, March 14, 2018

Share This Article

Change Size

Ties with US cannot get any worse under new Secretary of State: Kremlin In this file photo taken on February 13, 2018 CIA Director Mike Pompeo testifies on worldwide threats during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Agence France -Presse/Saul Loeb)

T

he Kremlin on Wednesday said ties with the US could not get any worse under next Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, after the sacking of Rex Tillerson. 

"It's hardly possible to fall below the floor, so it is unlikely things will get any worse in this regard," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a response to a question about the high-level staff changes in the US administration announced on Tuesday.

"In any case there of course remains the hope of a constructive and sober approach to bilateral ties. There is always this hope," Peskov said at a regular press briefing.

Tillerson in his farewell remarks this week warned Washington must do more to respond to Russia's "troubling behaviour and actions."

"Russia must assess carefully as to how its actions are in the best interests of the Russian people and of the world more broadly," he said.

"Continuing on their current trajectory is likely to lead to greater isolation on their part, a situation which is not in anyone's interest."

The US has accused Russia of actively interfering in the 2016 presidential election, stealing Democratic party communications and pushing out disinformation through social media, claims Moscow denies.

Pompeo said in his previous role as CIA director that the agency had observed Russian activity to influence the next US election cycle, the November mid-terms.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.