Spy scandal: US,Russia keep calm
Russia and the US sought on Wednesday to cool a heated scandal spar-ked by the arrest of 11 suspected Kremlin spies, amid fears the Cold War-style furore could harm improving ties. A cautious White House made no move to condemn Russia after the arrests, prompting the Russian foreign ministry to say it expected the scandal would not hurt relations that have seen a significant revival over the last months.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs described the operation as solely a “law enforcement” matter.
“I do not believe this will affect the reset of our relationship with Russia,” Mr Gibbs said. The state department meanwhile sty-led the episode as a remnant of the Cold War covert intelligence struggle between spymasters in Moscow and Washington that would not have a lasting impact on ties. “We’re moving towards a more trusting relationship. We’re beyond the Cold War; our relations absolutely demonstrate that,” said Phil Gordon, assistant secretary of state for European affairs. The muted official US reaction appeared to please Russia, which had angrily demanded explanations from Washington, with the foreign ministry saying it expected the scandal “will not negatively affect ties”.
The Kommersant newspaper reported that Russia’s “eloquent speakers” — talkative mid-ranking officials who often speak on such issues — had been ordered not to make public comments so as not to fan the flames. Criminal complaints stretching to 37 pages feature tales of false identities, buried money and hidden video cameras that read like a spy novel.
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