01.10 Obama, Kerry Push and Pull in Rocky Year with Russia
WASHINGTON, October 1 (RIA Novosti) In an interview aired Sunday on the CBS television show 60 Minutes, US Secretary of State John Kerry lauded Russia for its role in a landmark deal to eliminate Syrias chemical weapons, which the UN Security Council approved last week.
The praise from Americas top diplomat comes in the wake of what has been a turbulent year in US-Russian ties over a range of issues, including the US Magnitsky Act sanctioning alleged Russian rights abusers and a Kremlin-backed law banning Americans from adopting Russian children.
During the course of the year, Kerry and US President Barack Obama have addressed these and other sticking points in bilateral relations with often critical comments of the Kremlin, but the two men tasked with directing US foreign policy have also consistently used the language of cooperation and Realpolitik in assessing Washingtons relationship with Moscow.
Heres a rundown of quotes from Obama and Kerry this year illustrating this push-and-pull public diplomacy with Russia.
Syria
The Russians made a huge difference here. We thank them and congratulate them. The Russians actually weighed in heavily with Assad, and he knew that one of his principal patrons was saying,
