MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th January, 2021) The incoming US administration will continue pursuing a policy of containment toward Russia and China, and novelties may only concern "manners" and methods of promoting the American leadership, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
"It is clear that the line on the domination of the American state, the American way of life, the American understanding of life in other countries will persist, and the containment of both China and Russia will certainly be on the foreign policy agenda. They are already discussing 'how to make sure that Russia and China do not align to the point of feeling more powerful than America itself. Let's play China off against Russia, and play Russia off against China.' All this has been in place in American policy for a long time," Lavrov told a press conference.
As for policy on Russia, the top diplomat suggested that "the manners might be a little politer, but the essence of policy will hardly change."
"Where it is beneficial for the Americans, where they understand that they will not be able to do anything without us, without China, they will have to make some kind of agreements," the minister said.
Russia thus does "not expect radical changes, but, certainly, the methods of promoting the American leadership will probably be somewhat different," according to Lavrov.
The foreign minister also expressed hope that the incoming US administration would demonstrate interest in extending the New START Treaty and engaging in talks on a new agreement to succeed it.
"Let's wait. After all, Joe Biden himself is an expert in disarmament and arms control. I think that he will be interested in having a professional team, not a propaganda team," Lavrov added.
The New START, set to expire on February 5, is the last major arms control treaty between Russia and the United States that caps their nuclear warheads and delivery systems stockpiles.
