News   /   Interviews

US trying to rekindle new Cold War with Russia: Analyst

Director of US National Intelligence James Clapper testifies before the Senate (Select) Intelligence Committee at the Hart Senate Building on February 9, 2016 in Washington, DC. (AFP photo)

An American foreign policy analyst says that instead of fighting common enemies such as Daesh terrorists, the United States is trying to rekindle a new Cold War with Russia.

James George Jatras, a former US diplomat and adviser to the Senate Republican leadership, made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Friday while commenting on the US intelligence chief’s recent warning that tensions between the United States and Russia are spiraling into a new Cold War.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Tuesday that the Russians remained committed to an "assertive foreign policy," including efforts to hamper "Ukraine’s attempts to integrate with Western institutions."

"They're greatly concerned about being contained," Clapper said in his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Clapper said that Russia was increasingly “paranoid” about NATO’s installation of a missile system in Europe.

Jatras said “General Clapper’s comments show a complete lack of imagination of American policy makers.”

“We hear all the time here in the United States, Daesh, Daesh, Daesh is a great threat to the United States, but where does he put it in his analysis? At number five! -- after Russia, China, Iran, and other conventional actors in the international arena,” he added.

“I think this clearly shows that the American policy makers are guided by the interests of what people are calling the deep state that they’re interested in huge budgets or military procurements, more than anything related to the security of the United States, and rather than working with other powers to reduce international tensions and confront common enemies, like Daesh, and other [Takfiri] terror groups, they are focused on rekindling a Cold War again,” he stated.

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing new now. It’s something that’s been going on since the last few years. It is largely caused by the expansion of NATO and by efforts to dominate the former Soviet states,” the analyst concluded.

 Relations between the US and Russia have slipped to their lowest level since the Cold War over the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.

The US and EU have imposed several rounds of economic sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine since early 2014.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku