Nikolay Patrushev has an extraordinary interview published on April 21 in the Russian daily Kommersant, in which he speaks of Russia-U.S. common interests, and alliances throughout history, that are part of the two countries’ joint heritage. In this, he brings up historical examples that highlight their collaboration, with what appears to be a clear message of what the current state of affairs could become.
From August 1999 through May 2008, Patrushev was the director of Russia’s Federal Security Service, succeeding Vladimir Putin, with whom he has worked closely for more than two and a half decades. From May 2008 through May 2024, he was Secretary of the Security Council of Russia. Today, he is an aide to the President of Russia, and President of the Maritime Board.
Speaking to Kommersant special correspondent Elena Chernenko, Patrushev said: “Russia and the United States, as great powers, historically bear special responsibility for the fate of the world. And the experiences of the past decades or even centuries shows that in the most difficult crisis moments, our countries have always managed to overcome their differences,” according to English coverage by TASS of the interview.
He continues, “I believe that today, a first step towards that could be a joint statement on this historical experience which could serve as a symbolic basis for a reset of Russian-American dialogue.”
He cited the examples of Russian-U.S. coordination during World War II, which alliance won the war against Nazism. Patrushev told Kommersant that, in World War II, “The Arctic convoys, Lend-Lease, [are] wonderful examples of how Russia and the U.S. can cooperate despite their differences.”
