PRESS RELEASE

Moscow: U.S. Pursuing ‘Scorched Earth Policy’ on U.S.-Russian Relations

Oct. 14, 2016 (EIRNS)—In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, during her weekly briefing yesterday, accused the United States of shredding U.S.-Russian relations.

"We regret to see Washington continue to aggravate Russian-American relations," she said.

"We hear threats, nearly on a daily basis, to expand the sanctions and also appeals to the international community to follow suit."

She noted,

"The Pentagon has been building up its military presence along Russian borders" and, "Russophobic propaganda from some of the very top officials is totally off the charts."

In fact, "It is more undisguised lies than propaganda," she said.

"What we hear daily are complete lies, for example, about Russian hackers who nobody has seen but who everybody already knows in absentia."

"We have the increasing feeling that the outgoing U.S. Administration has been pursuing a ’scorched earth policy’ in bilateral relations," Zakharova went on.

"This is a dangerous policy that could have detrimental consequences for international stability and is unlikely to bring any positive change. In any case, nobody should be under the illusion that Russia can be pressured, be it the current American leadership or the incoming administration. Hopefully, the new administration will prove to be smarter than its predecessor."

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister, Numan Kurtulmus, is apparently also very concerned about where U.S.-Russian relations are headed. He warned, in an interview with Anadolou on Wednesday, that the "proxy wars" in the Middle East between the United States and Russia could signal the re-emergence of world-wide conflict between the two Cold War superpowers. The war in Syria is on the brink of becoming a "wider regional war," he said. "If this proxy war continues, after this, let me be clear, America and Russia will come to a point of war."