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Russia's Lavrov Blasts U.S. While Asking For Relations Reset

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asks for a reset in U.S. relations with Russia, while blasting U.S. Foreign Policy.
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Remember this?

"It represents what President Obama, Vice-President Biden and I have been saying. ... We want to reset our relationship."

In March 2009, then Secretary of State Hilary Clinton presented Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with a "reset" button meant to symbolize new beginning in Russia-U.S. relations.

But in an unfortunate translation error, the word the U.S. used for 'reset' was actually the Russian word for 'overload,' which may be a better way to describe what has happened to ties between the two countries over the last four years.

The last few months have seen round after round of new economic sanctions placed on Russia by the U.S. and Europe, designed to punish the Russia for supporting rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Now the same Russian foreign secretary that pressed the so-called reset button with Secretary Clinton in 2009 is asking for a new attempt at "resetting" the relations between the two nations, which he says the U.S. destroyed.

"We are absolutely interested in bringing the ties to normal, but it was not us who destroyed them. Now they require what the American would probably call a 'reset,'" Lavrov said. But during that same round of interviews, he also blasted the U.S. for its foreign policy.

LAVROV: "The West has embarked on a course toward vertical structuring of humanity tailored to its own far from inoffensive standards."

During during his speech at the U.N. General Assembly Saturday, Lavrov argued the West is rejecting the U.N. principle of equality among sovereign states and destabilizing the world with its fight against terrorism.

LAVROV: "Military Interference has become a norm, even despite the dismal outcome of all operations of force the U.S. has carried out over recent years."

Secretary of State John Kerry met with Lavrov at the U.N. last week, but he has not commented on Lavrov's 'reset' remarks yet. However, this is what he said when asked in March if the 'reset' failed.

KERRY: "We have had difficulty with Russia with respect to certain issues, but even as we have managed to do the Stark Treaty, they've cooperated on Afghanistan, they've cooperated on Iran."

Kerry and Lavrov discussed the importance of a Ukraine ceasefire agreement and the fight against ISIS during their meeting last week, but neither country has announced a change in strategy.