US forcing Kiev to remain hostile to Moscow – senior Russian politician

It will be impossible for Kiev to mend its relationship with Moscow so long as the Ukrainian authorities remain under the thumb of the US government, the speaker of Russia’s Senate claimed on Wednesday.

Speaking in an interview with Moscow-based outlet Parlamentskaya Gazeta, Valentina Matvienko suggested that, should Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky choose to repair his country’s relations with Russia, he would be prevented from doing so by Washington.

According to Matvienko, the US government is responsible for Kiev’s poor relationship with Moscow, arguing that Washington does not allow the Ukrainian government agency to make its own decisions.

“The main problem in our relations with Ukraine, as I see it, is that Kiev is not independent in its foreign and domestic policies. The Kiev authorities are directed by Washington. And an adversarial relationship with Russia is the price that Ukraine has to pay for US patronage,” Matvienko told the Russian publication.

The senator insisted that the US has an oversized influence in Ukrainian decisions surrounding foreign policy.

“Even if Kiev would like to take the path of normalizing our ties, the US would hardly let this happen,” she continued, adding that as long as America continues to exert its influence, “there is simply no one in the Ukrainian leadership to engage in a productive dialogue with.”

Matvienko’s claims come as Moscow continues to be accused by the US of preparing for an invasion of its neighbor, despite Russia saying that it is withdrawing troops from the Ukrainian border.

“We, on our part, will do everything to prevent a war with Ukraine, to make sure that it never starts – not today, not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow,” Matvienko continued.

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