The key facts

  • Lavrov urged assessing relations with the US by concrete actions rather than forecasts
  • He tied conclusions to the formation of the new Congress after the midterm elections
  • Earlier, the minister spoke of irritation in Congress over the diesel deal and the absence of practical shifts

Judged by actions, not by forecasts

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that one should not make forecasts about the development of Russian-American relations after the US midterm elections: the situation, in his words, should be assessed by the concrete actions of the American authorities. He said this in a comment cited by Interfax with reference to the minister.

What should become clear after the elections

According to Lavrov, conclusions can be drawn after the new composition of Congress is formed, when its members move from statements to practical decisions. Then, the Foreign Minister noted, it will become clearer what steps Russia will need to take in its engagement with Washington and American parliamentarians to defend national interests.

Context: the diesel deal and sanctions

Earlier, on October 30, Lavrov said that the diesel deal between Moscow and Washington is causing irritation in the US Congress; he called such a reaction natural and urged against harboring illusions about this deal, since Moscow sees no 'real shifts in practice' in relations between the two countries. Even earlier, on October 20, the minister spoke about Russia's expectations of the United States on the issue of sanctions. Thus, the new statement continues the Foreign Ministry's line of a restrained assessment of the prospects for dialogue with Washington: the ministry ties concrete conclusions not to the elections themselves, but to the subsequent practical decisions of the new Congress.