Former Russian Diplomat Veronika Krasheninnikova on Iranian TV: U.S. Presence in the Middle East Must Be Made Difficult and Costly

Russian political scientist and former diplomat Veronika Krasheninnikova said in a December 6, 2019 interview on Channel 2 (Iran) that in order to restrain America in the Middle East, there must be unity and an insistence that the U.S. and other foreign powers leave the region. She said that continued presence in the region must be made difficult and costly for the Americans because there is no need for American troops in Syria, Iraq, or elsewhere in the Middle East. She added that Syria, Russia, and Iran are already united in the belief that there is no place for American troops in Syria. Krasheninnikova is a member of the Russian Federations Civic Chamber and the head of the Center for International Journalism and Research at Rossiya Segodnya. She has studied in Russia, Paris, and New York and has worked at the United Nations in Geneva. According to web postings, she is currently the representative of the Russkiy Mir Foundation in North America.

Interviewer: How can we restrain America in this region?

Veronika Krasheninnikova: We have to be united, and insist that the United States and the rest of the foreign powers leave the West Asia region. The American presence in the region must become difficult, and it must be costly, so that the U.S. is forced to leave this region, because there is no need for American troops to be present in Syria, in Iraq, or elsewhere in the region.

Interviewer: How can we create this one voice – this unity – in the region?

Veronika Krasheninnikova: Yes, well, there is definitely unity between Iran, Syria, and Russia. All three believe that there is no place for American troops in Syria.