“Intellectual agony”: the foreign Ministry responded to the dissatisfaction with the American media
MOSCOW, may 11 — RIA Novosti. The Russian foreign Ministry has ironically commented on the controversy the American media around the visit of Sergey Lavrov to the United States. The official representative of the Ministry Maria Zakharova said that the situation indicates “intellectual agony,” in the media in the United States.
Meeting of the President of the United States Donald trump and Lavrov took place on the eve in the oval office of the White house. The American leader accepted the Russian Minister after his talks with us Secretary of state Rex Tillerson.
After meeting with the President of the United States, Lavrov said that trump “clearly confirmed its interest to build mutually beneficial, pragmatic relations”.
The talks at the White house lasted a little over an hour and were closed to the press mode. The Minister was accompanied by Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak.
The unhappy Americans
Dissatisfaction with the American journalists called the order of presentation of the meeting of the Russian Minister with trump.
Members of the press were not allowed into the negotiations, the parties were limited to only one photographer on each side.
After the meeting, the foreign Ministry has published photos in which trump shakes hands with Lavrov and Russian Ambassador to the USA Sergey Kislyak. The American side Protocol pictures not published.
#Lavrov – @realDonaldTrump meeting has just started | In the oval office began meeting Lavrov with D. trump#RussiaUSA #Rossese pic.twitter.com/7raFrkWhiC
— MFA Russia ?? (@mfa_russia) may 10, 2017.
As a result, journalists started to argue whether it was permissible to show the Russian photo from the meeting. For example, MSNBC TV showed pictures in the air, and the reporter explained that the source of the photo is “Russian”. Anchorwoman Andrea Mitchell stated that the administration “does not allow freedom of the press”.
CNN also showed the photo as it was published in the Twitter of the Russian Embassy. Moderator wolf Blitzer stated that “the American pool camera was not allowed in the office.”
Fox News does not “Shine” pictures in the air. Leading Jenna Lee told viewers that the photos can be viewed on the Internet.
“But we decided not to show because we are part of the US media and think it’s important that the press had access to the White house,” said Lee.
Washington Post reporters complained on Twitter that they “are forced to rely on Russian media” in covering the events around trump. In social networks began to spread conspiracy theory, according to which, the President hides his communication with “Russian”.
The Reaction Zakharova
Commenting on the reaction of journalists to meet trump and Lavrov, foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said that the American media are in “intellectual agony”.
Zakharova explained to reporters that formats coverage of the event was determined by the White house on the rights of the “owner” of the meeting, and the decision to limit access of reporters was taken in Washington.
We clearly stated that our side will be the photographer of the Agency TASS, which in this trip performs the functions of a personal photographer Minister, respectively, of the photos on the meeting was posted in free access on the MFA website and in social networks.Maria Saharanafrican the representative of the Russian foreign Ministry
“So, to say that Moscow is again guilty of conspiracy in the United States of America… I Think in this situation, everyone understands that this is a real hysteria in the American media. It is possible to speak about intellectual agony,” — said Zakharov.
According to the diplomat, American journalists are not too interested in the visit of the Russian Minister. Most of the questions that the reporters addressed Lavrov was “intervention” in Moscow in the American elections and the resignation of the FBI Director James Komi.
Zakharova also said that the US “is not far off a new electoral cycle”, during which “the subject of Russia, of course, will be one of the key”.
In the fall of 2018, the U.S. will be mid-term elections.
The crisis of values
Member of the Federation Council Committee on international Affairs Igor Morozov expressed his surprise at the lighting of the trip Lavrov in the United States.
“Relations between Russia and the United States have reached a bottom, probably with the help of issues and offers a confidential nature. Donald trump would like to get out of this failure, but because he has an uneasy relationship with the American media, he apparently didn’t want to say them”, — the Senator said on radio Sputnik.
“And the fact that the American media have very little coverage of specific topics (the visit of Sergey Lavrov to the United States — ed.) seems strange. Because Americans are always talking about openness of their society, the right to information. Today, these values in the US are experiencing a profound crisis. What Russia demonstrates today the openness, and our President speaks about it, he himself in plain sight. In this sense, the Trump you need to take an example from Putin how to be open,” added the member of the Federation Council.