Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Full Interview) | NBC News

Minister thank you very much for your time there's a lot to talk about there is Syria there is North Korea there's China there's Ukraine there's Isis but inevitably I'd like to begin by talking to you about Russian US relations there are pictures of you with the Obama administration in which you look unhappy there are pictures of you with President Trump in which you look like you're having fun so what is that is that the way it is if you haven't I haven't seen any picture of me which could be described as me being happy or unhappy if I laugh then the gentleman who talks to me might have cracked a joke if I don't laugh the partner might be boring or partner might be asking for some serious issue to be considered and then I'm not laughing but with John Kerry for example we laughed a lot he had he has I hope still very good humor and we enjoyed our private relations as much as we concentrated on our business on Syria and elsewhere if there is a warmer relationship now with the Trump administration then there have been with previous American administrations there are also messages from Moscow that are unhappy with things particularly the Russian compounds that were seized by the Americans what is the real feeling towards Washington as you would describe it right now do you are there particular people within the administration that you think are more constructive to Russia than others do for example think that President Trump has a more positive attitude towards Russia than secretary Tennyson for example look we can only rely on what people say and what people do and it's obvious that during the Obama administration the irritation for whatever reason started building up in Washington against us many years ago long before Ukrainian crisis long before anything else which has now cited as the problem in russian-american relations the first time I think it was publicly shown was when Edward Snowden made it to Russia in the expectation that he would be able to take a flight to like an American and Russia was just a stopover s he was flying from China to Russia his passport was declared invalid and this information was circulated to the airports all over the world including to the Moscow Airport where he landed and could not be led through because of the information received about his passport and then President Obama called President Putin John Kerry called me John Brennan called his counterpart in Moscow all many many times saying you must you must extradite him you must extradite him and according to our legislation we cannot extradite people who are being persecuted for something they did to protect and promote human rights and then President Obama I would say entirely unprecedented was frustrated so much that he canceled his bilateral visit to Moscow which was scheduled immediately on the eve of the st. Petersburg g20 summit he did attend the summit in st. Petersburg but he did cancel the visit which was supposed to consider quite important agenda I believe it is not for the people who occupy any position of India or of influence and importance in the current world to get offended like kids on issues which absolutely uncomfortable to the issues which had to be discussed which what will be discussed at the russian-american summit and then of course the Magnitsky law which as we now see was very much orchestrated but I hope the investigation which is going on including in the United States would discover the truth all this was long before Ukraine and all this was accumulated by the Obama administration building on I would say some personal agendas maybe President Obama was personally offended by something he saw in Russia and then at the last days of his administration he sees the diplomatic property protected by bilateral agreements between our countries and enjoying a diplomatic immunity I believe it was you know the the act of desperation and the desire to leave something to his successor which would be unrepairable as far as the russian-american relations are concerned so it was not it was not this administration's act it was an act designed among other things which were promoted to make the life of this administration absolutely unbearable and we always knew of course from the history of the American state from many wars which were fought on that land the seizure of property seizure of land was one of the means how America was created actually but I never suspected that this would be done by a party which now represents quite different philosophy by the way when people say that the property was arrested and diplomats were expelled punish Russia for meddling with the American election don't believe this crap because the official note verbal which we received from the State Department said nothing about the reasons for which this property had been seized so it's just straightforward the robbery and international law is entirely on our side and we would act on the basis of international law to get it back you're threatening to remove US diplomats from Russia is that what message should the US take away do you see president Trump as a friend or your though your declarations your public declarations that you may still expel the US diplomats is that your posture towards the US well we perceive president Trump for what he is saying publicly expressing his position this idea saying that the two biggest nuclear powers must do everything in order to cooperate to resolve the matters which only can be resolved through their cooperation and this was confirmed not only during his consistent public statements but also during three phone conversations and the direct meeting with President Putin and come work on the 7th of July and we have no reason to believe that he is a desire to promote the interest that states and the interest of making this world safer together with Russia on the basis of our cooperation on the basis of the balance of interests that this desire is sincere I have no reason to doubt it as for the situation in which he found himself I don't think he's being attacked because of what happened between him and Russia in the media how this wall was perceived I believe it was a shock for the establishment in the United States after the results of the election were announced and somebody who was not part of the system of the system of government yes he was part of the business system of the United States but not part of the system of government got elected unexpectedly and this entire avalanche of attacks of accusations absolutely groundless at least as far as the Russian and all of this of this anti Trump campaign is concerned we haven't seen anything of that during many many months of accusations some facts are being hidden by public explanation that they secret but I cannot imagine that with the experience of CIA National Security Agency FBI and many other intelligence and special services in the United States there are no experts who can present to the public the facts the way which would not compromise the sources if this is the case then that there is no single professional in only 17 structures I cannot just believe in it so the fight goes on they want to make the life of this administration miserable people try to speak about impeachment read about this but frankly I read the news from the United States less and less it's a fight that you think it's a fight it's absolutely a fight but as I said I rush you is on president Trump's side no we are on the side of justice I did beat the two Duchess we want international law to be respected with the internal development of any country including the United States we want the constitution of that particular country to be respect and as well as international obligations of that we know about President Putin and President Trump meeting three times at the g20 they met obviously for the bilateral limit at the dinner and they met well maybe they weren't a toilet together that was a fourth time they may all say when they were photographed shaking hand that's my question I did I meet other times in the hallways when there are other occasions when they may I thought I thought it was already understood by the people who are mature and grown up but I keep hearing from very solid media outlets they met secretly when at the dinner which was attended by some hundred persons hi not to mention waiters not to mention assistants who were not allowed to the table but who were waiting in the margins of that room and that was I mean something which people do so they may have my eyes why why nobody why nobody got suspicious of the fact that actually the entire dinner Putin spent with madam Trump with the first lady because the German hosts arranged the table that way and then after the dinner was over and I was not a president Trump apparently went up to pick up his wife and spent some minutes with President Putin so what and they did shake hands which was now listed as a third meeting and I don't know about the the men's room they mean whole AC to me honestly they have other conversations are you aware look foreign ministers are not invited to the sessions of the g20 discussions we only were present at the bilaterals which the President had with and many of his colleagues the leaders attending the g20 summit but when you are brought by your parents to a kindergarten do you mix with the people who are waiting in the same room to start going to a class classroom I believe you I remember when was in that position I did spend five ten minutes in the kindergarten before they brought us to the classroom to start explaining to us how the animals different if the King Pakal but there is also a room where they get together before an event starts they cannot arrive all at the same time in the bus they arrive at their own motorcades and then they are ushered in the room where which is a waiting room so they might have met even much more than just three times it's an important point though and this is why I would think it would be an important point from your point of view which is that when important leaders like president trunk and President Putin some the most important leaders in the world meet they make agreements which then your people who work for you have to then implement let me give you an example in terms of the working group on cybersecurity the Russian Empire on cybersecurity says that there are now discussions underway with the u.s. president Trump has tweeted that actually it can't happen that appears to have been something that was agreed at the bilateral meeting but it's not clear because we don't appear to have an objective readout of what was agreed so is that working group on cybersecurity happening and I guess my wider question is does it actually make it more difficult for you Russia it is said to have asked for a note-taker at that meeting and the White House is said to have refused there it doesn't make it more is that not true is that not there what do interpreters each on each side okay so it does it doesn't make it more difficult for you if there isn't a clear agreement on what was agreed at each meeting a formally grill and and what about that cyber working it's it's very schematic you know the way you present a discretion unfortunately when the leaders discuss they don't draft documents they don't draft papers they pick up subjects on which they believe the two countries can cooperate for the benefit of their own people for the benefit of security in the region in the world and they did discuss cybersecurity president round raise this issue she said that he clearly remembers remembered what President Putin publicly said answering the questions about whether Russia meddled with the u.s. elections and the answer was no but he also reminded that as he did during this meeting in Hamburg that the Russian Federation many times many years ago still under the Obama administration proposed to establish a serious process which would concentrate on any apprehensions any of us and maybe some others because this could have been open for other countries to join any apprehensions wish anyone might have regarding the regarding any problem in cyberspace it was the Russian Federation together with China with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization who many years ago several years ago proposed draft document called you know rules of behavior in cyberspace and this is available in the United Nations it was the Obama administration which was not very eager about start starting today and we just recalled all this when all the circulations started being thrown at the Trump administration and at the Russian Federation that we are in trees behind the curtains under the carpets unison the Democrats we reiterated approach that we want cyberspace to be the area where we discuss all concerns beat interference and domestic affairs of any sovereign state beat the use of cyberspace for terrorist purposes some drug business pedophilia other violations of international and national legislation and the president of the United States clearly showed interest in having this in having this issue discussed and those talks are underway now are they with the US well I I cannot I cannot be in the picture on each and every aspects of our experts round so you're Russian Rush Limbaugh and cybersecurity says there are talks underway between the US that's what he said yesterday yes is that correct well you asked me to say whether I trust somebody who is an official in charge of cybersecurity right if you don't trust him double check with somebody else he is my subordinate I don't have any reason not to trust him yeah on those conversations initially you said that President Trump mentioned the question the allegation of Russian intervention in the US elections and then later President Putin said that President Trump asked him the question directly and it wasn't a single question there were many questions and and the president Trump gave much attention to that subject did did Moscow change the description from the way that you characterized it in order to help President Trump it must go increase the amount of conversation that it said was was there about the allegations of Russian intervention in the US election I feel like I'm at the hearing in the Senate on the investigation of Trump betraying the interest of the United States of America but no president Trump actually himself answered the delegations that he trusted Putin as Putin said he clearly reminded all those who have nothing better to do than to engage in this dirty business that what President Putin said about this part of their discussion at the press conference that the president Trump raised the issue President Putin that we never did anything to interfere in the American elections and that he President Putin got an impression that President Trump accepted this explanation he never put and never said that Trump was happy about something he said on this floor and I read the tweet of President Trump and I believe the carriage was which he withstand this unbelievable attacks is it really deserves does deserve but a respect but any anything else about cyber as I've got a broader question actually because you you are a you are a diplomat of many many years experience one of the most experienced diplomats in the world and yet in the recent months you have been witnessed to some moments of of history what goes through your mind when you're there in the room as President Putin meets President Trump what goes through your mind when you're in the Oval Office with President Trump and he talks about having great intel and allegedly share some of that with you or describes James Comey as it as a knock job these things are not experiences that even you have everyday you mean what I felt when I was in the Oval Office what did you basically the feeling was the same as when I was in the Oval Office of is President Obama and President Bush before she respect to the president who was legitimately elected the leader of the United States on the basis of the United States Constitution and respect for anything they choose to tell me to present the American position and to present their views on what they believe should be the substance of russian-american relations and what the g20 when the two presidents are meeting for apparently president Trump's wife even came into the room to say we need to wrap this up and and it was going so well they wanted to carry on look our political and human culture does not provide for somebody else's family matters to be discussed in public but I my question is really more about just I understand you are ready to share too eager to get more details then Russians can provide to you on this human rights subject but you don't want to share more about what happened in the two-hour meeting and we know very little about what we have announced for the for the entry of the first lady and I answered you right and I believe the 30 minutes was some assault which we are discussing we have been discussing mostly that meeting in Hamburg what is your specific I'm just interested in new reflections on on that meeting on that means he was led the meeting of the two leaders and actually I did make a statement after that meeting yes but before the contrast Conference of President Putin that was a meeting of the two leaders who certainly defend the interests of their countries who understand the interests of their countries in a long-term perspective not just thinking of you know what comes in a year and a half midterm elections we have to maneuver no they have been clearly guided by long-term interest of the United States and of the Russian Federation and they were clearly both very much aware that the best interest of our countries require or would be or rather would be much much better ensured if we concur in and if we also cooperate on issues which are important to the entire world and which could be much more effectively resolved if Russia and the United States are together as as it happens in some parts of Syria now on Syria do you feel the oh by the way you you said that President Trump revealed some secret when I was in the Oval Office I missed the part of your question did you there's an allegation that he did obviously which you'll know about but he was accused of telling me a secret about something which was discovered by special services and which related to the ability of terrorists to manipulate with smart phones and notebooks the way which would allow the explosive to be to be placed in those devices he just mentioned that terrorists have become very inventive and creative but this very statement was made publicly either by FBI or by CIA CIA about a month before I entered the Oval Office and it was not only announced publicly it was the reason why passengers from some countries in the Middle East or officially legally prohibited to carry this kind of devices on both the plates exactly because of that reason well so when this was cited as as a secret top secret revealed to me by President Trump I really did not believe that serious people could could make this kind of allegation on Syria do you view the reporting that the CIA program to back Syrian rebels in Russia that that is a that has been stopped that program will no longer go forward you view that as a concession to what Russia is asking for in Syria come here this one this decision was taken as far as American media rights if you still can believe the American media but I still try to and this decision was made a few weeks before the meeting of g20 I read I think yesterday that this was a result of a meeting between president Raab general McMaster and secretary Metis I can only proceed from this from this news t balcony I don't know because we have to calculate of the overall approach of all of us to resolving the Syrian crisis we certainly concentrated on the de-escalation zones the escalation areas which are designed to stop the fighting between the government and the armed opposition for them not to attack each other and hopefully for them to concentrate entirely on fighting ISIL therefore the the logic of their position and the government to to to sign a ceasefire to end into cessation of hostilities arrangement is very much our logic and I understand that the United States supports much more groups than just the ones which were announced as being left without the American weapons and and practice and that well lately it was stated that some 10 American bases have been created in Syria at least that interpreter by the Americans Christmas turkey for having allowed this news to be to be let out 10 basis I don't know I have my I probably trust what I what I see in the news and take it for the for the for the value of relative speed TV American bases in Syria no I don't object American bases in Syria as long as the Americans reiterate that they are illegitimate presence in the Syrian Arab because unlike us they will not invite illegitimate they they're not was a petition mean as long as this illegitimate presence and the Syrian Arab Republic is executed in the way which they say is the case namely with the full respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syria of the Syrian Arab Republic with the sole purpose to fight ISIL and other terrorist organizations and it that means that after the country has been liberated after the settlement has been reached to the satisfaction of all the Syrian ethnic confessional and political groups the presence of the foreign troops of foreign bases on the soil of Syria would be only legitimate with the consent of the Syrians themselves but it was interesting for me to read because that's about about the presence and the basis I just want it was interesting excuse me I can't it was interesting to me to read this statement I think this morning of mr. Pompeo the CIA director he was asked about what Russia is doing in Syria and he said we don't like what Russia is doing in Syria we don't share the purposes of Russian presence in Syria the main purpose of Russian presence is to establish a couple of basis on the Mediterranean Sea seashore and that was presented as something which we don't deserve so if the gentleman who represents a country in legitimately having created ten bases and theory is concerned very much about two bases which are have been established on the basis of our intergovernmental agreement with the government which is the member of the United Nations then something is wrong with double standards Italy tip not to mention not to mention that hundreds and hundreds of military bases of the United States all over the world and all around Russia seemingly do not cause any concern to mr. Pompeo or to any sense to anybody to be clear the principle that the only forces that should be allowed to intervene in Syria are those that have been sanctioned by President Assad would suggest that only Russia Iran and perhaps Hezbollah should be allowed to intervene in Syria well strictly speaking yes but in practical terms we have been trying to be flexible in order to remove the key barrier to the Syrian settlement the terrorist threat in Syria and through our dealings with Iran and Turkey by the way we and through our dealings with Jordan and the United States and with the armed opposition we try to achieve this this this goal by having a cessation of hostilities between the government and those who fight it on the part of the patriotic opposition so that all forces can be released three to five terrorists and the process of which the processes which were engaged in of course they have been consulted with the Syrian government and the Syrian government does not mind us to move in the direction we're moving in the context of the overall understanding that number one priority is to fight eyes and we hope very much that this de-escalation areas agreement would resolve the problem which killed the deal between US and President Obama namely the problem of Jakarta Nostra and all its incarnations because from the very beginning the United States a coalition while fighting ISIL more or less actively sometimes more sometimes less they had been sparing Jakarta knew Sara obviously all facts indicate in this direction and by the way this was the reason why the deal between myself and John Kerry endorsed by President Obama and President Putin failed in September last year because the deal was that the Syrian Air Force does not fly at all that the Russian Air Force and the American Coalition fly and heat only those targets which would be mutually agreed it was it was a huge deal but the the deal should enter into force on the 7 days and by the 7 of the deal by the seventh day the Obama administration committed itself to separate their position which is patriotic from Japan and Muslim and I and they failed and they said so which only confirmed our suspicions that they were protecting nusra all along I'm out of time but and I did promise to be on time but I just don't want to leave without asking you a question about North Korea you just before the g20 built an alliance if you like an agreement if you like with with the Chinese over your position on North Korea why would you not consider North Korea a threat when they fired a missile that came close to Russian territory well we I cannot say that we are not considering threat what is going on on the Korean Peninsula because of what North Korea is doing in gross violation of the Security Council resolutions this not very normal attempts to present us as a peacing North Koreans as acquiescing but with what they have been doing I don't know the the purpose of those may be again to get some political points to score some political points our position is very straightforward we supported consistently all resolutions of the Security Council which were designed to stop the prohibited nuclear and missile programs of North Korea and it was agreed from the very beginning that all these sanctions would be targeted to make it impossible to continue with these problems the people who have been engaged in these programs who I engaged in these problems the people who provide finances for this you know the the targets of the sanctions must be related must be linked to what has been prohibited by the Security Council when proposals have been put on the table basically designed to completely suffocate North Korean economy prohibiting any imports from North Korea any exports sent on of Korea any transport liquid links with North Korea prohibiting any contacts with anybody of any importance in the leadership of North Korea we can not obviously support this kind of approach because it contradicts the basic premise and the basic premise being that we have to stop nuclear and missile programs but we cannot do this at the expense of hundreds and thousands of lives of North Koreans by the way I believe in regime change just a simple note Russian look we don't believe in regime change anywhere I hear very enthusiastic voices in the United States including in some parts of this administer that the patience has been over and they must do something because the threat is growing and growing and intercontinental ballistic missile was launched by the way we provided to the US on that very day when the presidents met and humbled our military provided to the Pentagon our objective day that we received from our Raiders located just on the border with North Korea and according to their data it is not an intercontinental missile but the Americans say they have their own calculations and we suggested just to sit down without any palletization professionally to look and to exchange information but a month ago I think a month and a half maybe secretary Mabus answering the question bluntly state that the use of force against North Korean regime would mean a disaster a humanitarian disaster in the region and they accept our American colleagues accept and private discussions that it speaks about hundreds of thousands probably not just in North Korea but in South Korea and the neighboring countries and those who keep those scenarios and their minds I believe they are not they're not responsible as politicians they're four parallel parallel with the continued pressure on North Korea not instead but parallel with the continued pressure on North Korea Russia and China that proposed a parallel political track the idea is to ensure a double freeze North Korea suspends all launches and all tests and in response the u.s. and South Korea do not cancel but reduce the scale of the war games in that region which we believe could help defuse the situation and allow for some professional discussions to build up confidence starting by very simple things you know adopting a statement that no one is going to attack each other that the security of which of the participants of this process would be mutually guaranteed and so on and so forth and then building and building upon this universal principles trying to agree on some details which would translate these guarantees to all participants in practice it will take time but we believe that this is the only way to save us from from a disaster which is looming ok NBC News fans thanks for checking out our youtube channel subscribe by clicking on that button down here and click on any of the videos over here to watch the latest interviews show highlights and digital exclusives thanks for watching

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Keywords: News, Desk Video, Donald Trump, Russia, nbc news, nbc, news, news channel, news station, newspaper, breaking news, us news, world news, politics, nightly news, current events, top stories, pop culture, business, health, Politics, Trump, President Donald Trump, President Trump, Putin, Vladimir Putin, President Vladimir Putin, President Putin, Trump Putin meeting, Donald trump meeting Putin, america and russia, america russia meeting, g-20, g20, g-20 summit, russia hacks

Id: zcrvziu5Q5c

Length: 38min 34sec (2314 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 21 2017