Pompeo tells Russia - Don't meddle in next U.S. presidential election

[webfact]

Pompeo tells Russia - Don't meddle in next U.S. presidential election

By Darya Korsunskaya and Andrew Osborn

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in Sochi, Russia May 14, 2019. Alexander Nemenov/Pool via REUTERS

 

SOCHI/MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Russia on Tuesday that Washington would brook no interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election and wanted Moscow to take action to show there would be no repeat of its suspected 2016 meddling.

 

President Vladimir Putin, who met Pompeo in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, pushed back, telling him that Russia never interfered in U.S. elections and that a report by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which he praised as being "objective overall", had found no evidence of collusion with President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

 

Relations have long been strained by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement findings - denied by Moscow - that Russia tried to influence the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election to boost Trump's chances of winning the White House.

 

Pompeo's visit followed the publication of the long-awaited report by Mueller into the nature of Russia's role in that election that spoke of "sweeping and systematic" interference by Moscow but did not establish that members of Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia during the 2016 election.

 

Now that the Mueller report was out of the way, Putin said he hoped ties would start improving.

 

"I've formed the impression that your president wants to repair Russia-U.S. ties and contacts and wants to solve issues which are of common interest for us," Putin told Pompeo.

 

"We've said many times that we also want to fully restore our relations. I hope that the necessary conditions for that to happen will now be created."

 

Visiting Russia for the first time as secretary of state, Pompeo earlier clashed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on issues from Ukraine to Venezuela. After their meeting, both men said they had been far apart on many issues.

 

"I made clear to Foreign Minister Lavrov ... that interference in American elections is unacceptable. If the Russians were engaged in that in 2020, it would put our relationship in an even worse place than it has been," said Pompeo. "I'd encourage them not to do that. We would not tolerate that."

 

Both Lavrov and Pompeo said they shared a desire to improve battered ties despite not being able to confirm a suggestion by Trump that he would meet Putin on the sidelines of a meeting of the G20 in Japan next month.

 

Putin would agree to such a meeting if formally asked, a Kremlin aide told reporters.

 

"The United States stands ready to find common ground with Russia as long as the two of us can engage seriously," Pompeo said.

 

"President Trump has made clear that his expectation is that we will have an improved relationship. This will benefit each of our peoples. And I think that our talks here today were a good step in that direction."

 

A Kremlin aide said the talks had not yielded any breakthrough but had been held in a business-like atmosphere.

 

'PLACES WE CAN WORK TOGETHER'

Pompeo told reporters after his talks with Putin that the two sides had a "very productive" conversation on Syria and how to move the political process there forward and were able to "make some truly constructive process points" on Afghanistan.

 

They also discussed North Korea, which both want to see give up its nuclear weapons.

 

"I think we share the same objective and I hope that we can find ways that we can work together," Pompeosaid on North Korea. "He (Putin) understands that the U.S. is going to be in the lead, but I think there are places we can work together."

 

Pompeo said Trump had made clear he wanted the to try to keep the Russia relationship "on the high ground".

 

"We have places where we just have very different views," he said of the U.S.-Russia relationship. "It's about trying to find solutions, compromises, places where there are overlapping interests. You can make progress in unlocking some of the most difficult problems that are facing us."

 

As well as the issue of interference in U.S. elections, the two sides clashed over Venezuela, with Lavrov sharply criticising Washington for trying to undermine President Nicolas Maduro, who Pompeo said must step down in the face of an economic crisis and large-scale protests against his rule.

 

On Ukraine, Pompeo told Lavrov the United States would not recognise Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea and would keep in place economic sanctions imposed on Russia over that move.

 

Russia should now work with Ukraine's new president-elect to bring peace to eastern Ukraine, saidPompeo, adding that he wanted Moscow to free a group of captured Ukrainian sailors.

 

Pompeo said he had also complained to Lavrov about U.S. citizens being detained in Russia, a reference to the case of Paul Whelan, a former Marine accused of espionage, and Michael Calvey, an investor accused of fraud. Both men deny wrongdoing.

 

Lavrov told reporters the two countries continued to disagree about Iran's nuclear programme and the international community's approach to Tehran, while Pompeo said he had raised U.S. concerns about escalating fighting in Syria's Idlib.

 

(Reporting by Darya Korsunskaya and Andrew Osborn; Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Tom Balmforth, Christian Lowe and Maria Tsvetkova in Moscow and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Gareth Jones and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-15

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Chomper Higgot]

Meanwhile:

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/08/01/republicans-block-money-election-security/884438002/

[quandow]

But I thought it was all a hoax, a witch hunt. You mean NOW they're admitting Russia meddled?

[Thailand]

27 minutes ago, quandow said:

But I thought it was all a hoax, a witch hunt. You mean NOW they're admitting Russia meddled?

Witch hoax.

[TopDeadSenter]

Pompeo is looking in the wrong place. I can see terrible meddling in the 2020 election, but none from Russia. I see the liberal elite headed by Zuckerberg and Dorsey blocking and banning middle of the road conservative voices, Trump's base. When I saw Paul Joseph Watson had been banned from Facebook although having broken no rules or laws and never calling for violence against anyone(although his detractors always do and are not banned) I knew this was a blatant attempt to block a Trump re-election. When the brightest brains on this forum defended his ban due to having discussed CHEMTRAILS?!! a decade ago, it descended further into madness.

 Pompeo, mate, pull your finger out. Sort out the "douche illuminati" in silicon valley. This is urgent. Their election meddling is undemocratic and I'm pretty sure it's illegal. Sort it out.

[Sealbash]

But I thought it was all a hoax, a witch hunt. You mean NOW they're admitting Russia meddled?

Difference between meddling and collusion, no?


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Lungstib]

Thats fixed that then.

[OneMoreFarang]

I would love to see Putin after these meetings. I am sure he smiles about all those losers.

[quandow]

4 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I would love to see Putin after these meetings. I am sure he smiles about all those losers.

That man is playing this administration and the whole world knows it.

[lannarebirth]

My prediction for the next presidential election is that every negative ad against a Democrat will be called Russian interference and every negative ad against a Republican will be called Chinese interference and in a small percentage of both cases that will be correct. Publishers do not turn down ad money. Everything's for sale in America.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by lannarebirth

[Boon Mee]

1 hour ago, quandow said:

But I thought it was all a hoax, a witch hunt. You mean NOW they're admitting Russia meddled?

In collusion with Hillary Clinton and the DNC.

Lay the blame where it properly belongs? 

[Tug]

Don’t worry trump supporters as long as Donald keeps being a good asset for the russan federation putin won’t abandon him

[grumbleweed]

So, while the US blatantly tries to destabilize the Russian economy and shore up their own, by warning against the Nord Stream pipeline and blitzing Syria in order to pave the way for a Saudi pipeline into Europe, they expect them to do nothing

[quandow]

41 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

In collusion with Hillary Clinton and the DNC.

Lay the blame where it properly belongs? 

You always entertain. Kudos and please never change!  ????

[neeray]

59 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

In collusion with Hillary Clinton and the DNC.

Lay the blame where it properly belongs? 

Oh no, not that "but, but Hilary", thing again.

[candide]

Pompeo tells Russia - Don't meddle in next U.S. presidential election! Blink blink. ????

[Proboscis]

8 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Pompeo is looking in the wrong place. I can see terrible meddling in the 2020 election, but none from Russia. I see the liberal elite headed by Zuckerberg and Dorsey blocking and banning middle of the road conservative voices, Trump's base. When I saw Paul Joseph Watson had been banned from Facebook although having broken no rules or laws and never calling for violence against anyone(although his detractors always do and are not banned) I knew this was a blatant attempt to block a Trump re-election. When the brightest brains on this forum defended his ban due to having discussed CHEMTRAILS?!! a decade ago, it descended further into madness.

 Pompeo, mate, pull your finger out. Sort out the "douche illuminati" in silicon valley. This is urgent. Their election meddling is undemocratic and I'm pretty sure it's illegal. Sort it out.

Douch Illuminati? Is this a new technical term?

[Pedrogaz]

If you had to chose a team of leaders and your choices were Putin and Lavrov or The Orange Dotard and Fat Mike Pompous. Who on earth would pick the Trump Pompous ticket? The Russians must be aghast at the capricious, vulgar and incompetent leadership in the US. How on earth does anyone deal with people who lie all the time?

How can you hold two views that conflict so radically in a single mind? How can you say placing a few ads on FaceBook is meddling while regime changing at the point of a gun is not?

[Pedrogaz]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

In collusion with Hillary Clinton and the DNC.

Lay the blame where it properly belongs? 

Not quite.....the Clintons and DNC paid their law firm to recruit Fusion and Steele to put together the discredited dossier. Steele says the source was a senior Kremlin official but he has never been interviewed by anyone at all. Seeing as how Skripal was a known contact of Steele's when Steele worked for MI6, then the speculation is that Skripal was the source of the stories which were fabricated.

[TopDeadSenter]

7 minutes ago, Proboscis said:

Douch Illuminati? Is this a new technical term?

A good friend involved in arranging Cryptocurrency ICOs and based in silicone valley, and personally knowing all the players said that's what these liberal fascists are known as. I thought it was a fitting and amusing term. Your welcome.

[Becker]

4 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

A good friend involved in arranging Cryptocurrency ICOs and based in silicone valley, and personally knowing all the players said that's what these liberal fascists are known as. I thought it was a fitting and amusing term. Your welcome.

Ah yes, insider knowledge. No wonder you're so well informed...

[Becker]

41 minutes ago, candide said:

Pompeo tells Russia - Don't meddle in next U.S. presidential election! Blink blink. ????

I'd go one step further.

Nudge Nudge Wink Wink

[Chomper Higgot]

8 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

A good friend involved in arranging Cryptocurrency ICOs and based in silicone valley, and personally knowing all the players said that's what these liberal fascists are known as. I thought it was a fitting and amusing term. Your welcome.

Somebody who once sent you an email wishing you good luck with your  search for a job is not a good friend.

[attrayant]

8 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

A good friend involved in arranging Cryptocurrency ICOs and based in silicone valley, and personally knowing all the players said that's what these liberal fascists are known as. I thought it was a fitting and amusing term. Your welcome.

 

I totally believe you.  (There, now your "good friend" and I are both liars.)

 

[Tug]

1 hour ago, neeray said:

Oh no, not that "but, but Hilary", thing again.

Aww neeray don’t be so hard on them it’s all they have left lol

[lannarebirth]

40 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

If you had to chose a team of leaders and your choices were Putin and Lavrov or The Orange Dotard and Fat Mike Pompous. Who on earth would pick the Trump Pompous ticket? The Russians must be aghast at the capricious, vulgar and incompetent leadership in the US. How on earth does anyone deal with people who lie all the time?

How can you hold two views that conflict so radically in a single mind? How can you say placing a few ads on FaceBook is meddling while regime changing at the point of a gun is not?

You don't think that Putin and Xi and Netanyahu and the Clown Prince of SA lie all the time?

[lannarebirth]

25 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

I totally believe you.  (There, now your "good friend" and I are both liars.)

 

 

But if you spell douche correctly about 1.5 million.

[candide]

24 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

I totally believe you.  (There, now your "good friend" and I are both liars.)

 

Dutch illuminati maybe? ????

[geoffbezoz]

38 minutes ago, Becker said:

Ah yes, insider knowledge. No wonder you're so well informed...

Well perhaps him knowing so many people in high places he is supporting them by constantly gaining knowledge to pass onto them from this forum  ????????

[attrayant]

4 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

But if you spell douche correctly about 1.5 million.

Nope, only five results and they're all in French except for the 5th hit which is this very page. 

 

 

So it's a French term, which would mean... I guess... enlightened shower?  Trumpists need to do a better job of coining insults.