WARM WORDS

Russia’s Lavrov Praises Trump’s U.N. Speech

Glad to hear president say “that the U.S. would not impose its way of life on others.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hailed President Donald Trump’s United Nations address late Tuesday as a “very welcome statement,” even as other world leaders questioned whether it was too combative. Lavrov told the Associated Press that one positive takeaway from Trump’s remarks was “that the U.S. would not impose its way of life on others.” Trump emphasized the importance of “mutual respect” among “diverse countries” before lashing out at Iran and Venezuela and threatening to “destroy” North Korea in his first-ever speech before the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. His speech was something “we haven’t heard from an American leader for a very long time,” Lavrov said. The Russian foreign minister said Trump’s comments also seemed to point to a willingness to mend ties with Russia after the “very low point” in relations left behind by the Obama administration. He said it would be “quite useful” for Trump to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at an Asia-Pacific summit in November.