The Russian Foreign Ministry described the publications of American media following Sergey Lavrov's visit to Washington as "intellectual agony". Hysteria in the press about the mythical influence of Moscow on the US domestic policy was fueled by the White House refusal to allow photographers to the meeting of Donald Trump and Sergey Lavrov.
So, official photos of the Washington meeting were diffused by the Russian Foreign Ministry which triggered another turn of conspiracy theories and conjectures in the American media. Alexander Khristenko will share the details of the most audacious ones. Washington's spy mania regarding Russians has reached new frontiers.
Suspicion fell on a TASS photographer who, as part of the delegation, took photos of Trump and Lavrov's meeting in the Oval Office of the White House. The Washington Post turned to the opinion of former U.S. intelligence officials and they did their best. Former U.S. intelligence officials describe such a level of access to the President as a security breach. They also warned that a listening device or other surveillance equipment could have been brought into the Oval Office hidden in cameras or other electronics.
Nobody even mentioned that during the visits of foreign guests foreign press is always invited too and that it's normal international practice. But the US journalists even started to argue whether Russian photos of the meeting can be broadcast in the USA as the reporters were not invited there. Reporters were not allowed into the White House, only personal photographers.
The Russian state-owned news agency published more than 20 photos of the meeting, of President Trump with the Russian minister, President Trump with the Russian ambassador, the main character in the scandal over the dismissal of National Security adviser Michael Flynn. The White House was bombarded by questions why there are no American photos. An anonymous representative of the administration, defending himself, blamed the Russian delegation for everything. The White House says they didn't think that the Russians would publish the photos.
Now the White House is furious, a source says. They say they were lied to. The arrival of Lavrov coincided with the dismissal of FBI director Comey which only inspired the supporters of the conspiracy theory as Comey investigated Trump's possible ties with Moscow. The American media forgot Syria and Ukraine, though minister Klimkin posed so eagerly at the meeting with Trump, who, as if downgrading Klimkin, met with him after Lavrov.
American journalists were mostly interested in what the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry thought about the FBI director's dismissal. How absurd is it to ask the Foreign Minister of another country why this or that domestic personnel change occurs in their country. All hints that this is the level of some banana republic and not an independent state also didn't work. It shows deep bias of the media, the absence of independent thinking, and that they're manipulated and directed by some political groups that maximize this rhetoric.
Nevertheless, Sergey Lavrov's stop in Washington is symbolic. I'm glad that Trump met with the Russians. The truth is some things are more important than Comey, like Syria, possible sending of US troops to Afghanistan. We've got to talk to the Russians. I know they are bad guys, but we have to do it. This is the world, Dirk! And the world is more stable and safe when the USA and Russia can agree. Despite the peculiar atmosphere the very fact of Lavrov's negotiations in Washington is a positive signal. Now everybody is looking forward to the meeting of Putin and Trump in July. It is expected to bring concrete results.
