YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, September 29. /TASS/: The release of the transcript of the notorious telephone conversation between US and Ukrainian presidents, Donald Trump and Vladimir Zelensky, has demonstrated that it is dangerous to conducts talks with Washington as the very fact of such release changes the format of relations between states, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.
"I share the opinion that this fact (release of the Trumo-Zelensky conversation’s transcript - TASS) evidently changes the picture, well, not picture, but, probably, the format of relations between states, between leaders, between politicians. Because now, three days after this scandal, everyone understands that it is dangerous to call to Washington, to hold talks and meet with it," she said in an interview with the Bolshaya Igra (Big Game) on Russia’s TV Channel One.
The Russian diplomat noted that the negative consequences of Washington’s decision to release the transcripts "are vey big." "No doubt, it was meant to divert attention from the problems that would be of interest for the world community," she said.
She warned against drawing parallels between this step and release of deliberately hacked classified information. "Hacking, i.e. a willful crime committed by hackers or those who use their services, is one thing - it constitutes a crime. We are speaking about a different thing. We are speaking about an intentional release or intentional disclosure of sensitive information, which can entail specific consequences, like in this case," she added.
The White House on September 25 released a transcript of July’s telephone conversation between the two leaders.
The allegations that Trump had exerted pressure on Zelensky to persuade Kiev to indirectly help him secure re-election for a second term in 2020 triggered a row in Washington. Trump’s opponents claimed that the US leader sought to exert pressure on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to launch an investigation of Hunter Biden, whose father, former US Vice President Josef Biden, is now Trump’s most probable rival at the upcoming presidential elections. The Democratic Party-controlled House of Representatives on Tuesday used the suspicion to launch impeachment procedures against Trump. Biden is currently regarded as one of Trump’s most likely rivals in the presidential election due next year.
