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Obama trying to make road bumpy for Trump, Putin: Journalist

Tuesday, 10 January 2017 6:46 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 10 January 2017 6:46 PM ]

File photo of US President Barack Obama (R), Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) and US President-elect Donald Trump

Some US senators are planning to present new legislation, which emphasizes comprehensive sanctions on Russia over its alleged attempts to derail the 2016 US presidential election. Several Democratic members of Congress have called for the formation of an independent panel to investigate Russia’s alleged hacking of Democratic organizations and officials during the recent presidential contest between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.

Fred Weir, a journalist and political commentator from Moscow, said President Barack Obama along with his administration is trying to get in the way of Donald Trump’s desire to amend ties with Russia.

“It is the outgoing establishment that wants to complicate the relationship [between Russia and the US] as much as possible," Weir told Press TV’s Top 5 on Tuesday.

“They try to get as much done as they can” to get in the way of the president-elect, who intends to get closer to Russia, he added.

The analyst pointed to the role of American politicians in improving ties between the US and Russia, saying that many of the Republicans in Congress “are totally against this course” and “speaking out against” the policy of the US president-elect toward Russia.

Recently, outgoing President Obama ordered a series of economic sanctions against Russia, as well as the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats over the cyberattacks.

However, he noted, “Trump has already hinted that he will try to undo some of these measures but he will be spending his own political capital at that point.”

“He (Trump) has expressed his intent that Russia and the United States should have a better relationship, but these are not worked-out policy projects,” Weir argued.

Referring to American opponents of better relations with Russia, who may serve in the Trump administration, the analyst said, “He (Trump) is going to have a very tough time,” because some of his appointees like General James Mattis, the potential next Secretary of Defense, are against improving ties with Moscow.

Russia and the United States have strategic differences over conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. Ties between the two big powers further deteriorated when Moscow last year launched an aerial campaign against terrorists in Syria.

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