WASHINGTON, July 25. /TASS/. Sanctions US policy towards Russia has not changed, despite a meeting of presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald trump in Helsinki. This was stated on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of state Michael Pompeo.

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“Concerning the application of sanctions, U.S. policy remains completely unchanged,” – said the head of the state Department, speaking at a hearing of the foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate of the U.S. Congress. The senior Democrat on this Committee Robert Menendez (new Jersey) has inquired about, discussed whether the leaders of Russia and the USA in the Finnish capital the prospects for the easing of sanctions Washington against Moscow.

Menéndez, who is actually a Deputy of the Committee Chairman, Republican Bob Corker (Tennessee), was not satisfied with this answer Pompeo, and he has several times asked the same question in several variations . “I can confirm that [trump] has undertaken no obligation to change this policy in any way”, – stressed in this regard Pompeo.

“Interference” in the elections

Trump accepts the conclusions of the intelligence community about attributed to Russia’s interference in the presidential election of 2016, added Pompeo.

“President trump said: “I accept the conclusions of our intelligence community that there was Russia’s intervention in our elections in 2016″. He has full and correct understanding of what happened. For me [it] is quite clear, considering how many hours I spent conducting briefings for the President of trump on the issue of Russia in the role of Director of Central intelligence and the Secretary of state”, – said the chief of American diplomacy.

16 July in Helsinki was the first full meeting of Putin and trump. The leaders talked one on one for a little over two hours, then they were joined by members of delegations. The presidents discussed issues of bilateral and international relations, and at the summit, the two leaders said that made a big step forward.

At home trump criticized for his insufficiently tough stance against Russia attributed to interference in the presidential election of 2016 and the fact that he questioned the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community on this. With criticism of the President had to be not only the liberal media and Democrats but also many Republicans, the party of the tramp. Democrats also demanded to extend the record of an American translator who was present at the meeting trump with Putin in a tete-a-tete. The former head of the CIA, John Brennan actually accused trump of treason and said that the summit in Helsinki the President of the USA allegedly was under the control of the leader of Russia.

Less confrontation

U.S. Secretary of state added that, according to trump, Washington’s relations with Moscow should be less confrontational.

“President trump believes that the two great nuclear powers should not have such a confrontational relationship. It (the improvement of relations between Russia and the USA approx. TASS) is responsible not only to our interests but also the interests of the entire world. He firmly believes: it’s time to maintain direct communication in our relationships is to clearly bring to the attention of the President [of Russia Vladimir] Putin that there is the possibility – as remote as it may be – to completely change the negative course of development of our relations”, – said the head of the state Department.

“From the very beginning of the administration our approach has not changed: to continually increase the consequences [for Russia] for aggression as long as Vladimir Putin will begin to pursue a less confrontational foreign policy, while leaving the door open for dialogue,” he said. He also noted that if relations between the two countries holds, that “the administration [of US] will continue to introduce tougher sanctions against Russia”.

Pompeo expressed the view that the US and Russia will not achieve issues affecting both countries problems without having a dialogue.

“We will not achieve progress on issues of mutual concern, if not we will discuss them. I’m talking about such key issues as the fight against terrorism, establishment of peace in Ukraine, the cessation of the civil war in Syria and the delivery of humanitarian aid, security in Israel and the cessation of all illegal activities of Iran,” Clinton said.

The Council for the fight against terrorism

Trump following the meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki ordered to restore the Russian-American interagency working group, which were frozen in 2014.

“The President instructed us to restore the Council to combat terrorism that existed at the level of Deputy Secretary for several years, but ceased to exist,” he said.

Arms control

The US administration is studying made during the us-Russian summit in Helsinki ideas in the field of arms control, said Pompeo.

“We are still working on it – he said, answering the question of what specific agreements in the area of arms control was achieved at the summit in Helsinki. – As the President said, we are trying to achieve from the Russian compliance with the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range”.

“The trump is considering how to proceed in regard to the INF Treaty and the Treaty on reduction of strategic offensive arms (SNV) which methods are necessary to achieve the goals for which we strive – to reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation and the threat of conflict between our countries,” he continued.

US Secretary of state, “conduct a review of the INF Treaty, in order to be able to respond and cooperate with Russia where it is in the interests of the United States on a wide range of issues of arms control”.