This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
A senior member of Russia’s upper house of parliament has welcomed the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Moscow’s role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, saying this gives the two countries a chance to repair ties.
Konstantin Kosachyov, who heads the Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee, asserted in a Facebook post on March 25 that Mueller’s probe was accompanied by “two years of incessant lies.”
A summary of Mueller’s report by Attorney General William Barr said the investigation did not establish that associates of Trump colluded with Russians, something that Kosachyov said “we in Russia knew from the start.”
Barr said in a letter released to Congress on March 24 that the probe “did not establish that members” of Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”
Kosachyov said that there was now “an opportunity to reset a lot in our relations, but it is still a question as to whether Trump would take that risk. We, of course, are ready.”
Relations between Russia and the United States have been severely strained over a variety of issues, including Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine, its alleged meddling in the U.S. presidential election, and its involvement in Syria’s civil war.
