West cannot unite around anti-Russian factor - Pushkov
MOSCOW. Oct 12 (Interfax) - The West cannot build its unity on anti-Russian policy, says Alexei Pushkov, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.
"It seems to me the Ukrainian and Syrian crises showed a very important thing: that Western unity on a rigidly anti-Russian basis is fairly prospectless, i.e. it is not working," Pushkov said at an Open Tribune session, entitled "Russia and the West: what's next?" in the State Duma on Monday.
He pointed to a number of recent statements by prominent European politicians, who suggested in particular that the United States should not be allowed to define Europe's policy on Russia.
"I.e. we understand that this is an anti-Russian component that is being imposed on Europe, it is very shaky," the parliamentarian said.
"In Ukraine we showed that we are capable of defending our position and in Syria (we) showed that we are capable of going it alone," Pushkov said.
This is an exceptionally crucial moment, the committee chairman said. "It is a factor of pressure on the consolidated Western position," he added. In fact, this position does not seem as consolidated as it used to be, he said. "The West itself is in the crisis-policy zone," he said.
It is therefore Moscow's task "to stick to the course that we have chosen, while searching for opportunities for selective cooperation [with countries whose interests partly overlap with Russia's]," Pushkov said. This policy will prevent Russia and the West from total confrontation that "is not in our interests," the politician said.
