Russia's London embassy trolls May over 'beware Putin' remarks

Russias embassy in Britain on Friday ridiculed Prime Minister Theresa May for her warning to US Republican lawmakers that the West should "engage with, but beware" of President Vladimir Putin.

May invoked the spirit of the Cold War on Thursday, when she warned of a possible "eclipse of the West" if they failed to engage with Moscow "from a position of strength".

Her caution to US politicians came ahead of a planned phone call between Putin and US President Donald Trump on Saturday, when the two leaders will speak directly for the first time.

In response, a mocking poem poking fun at the PM's "Cold War" mindset was posted on the official Twitter account of the Russian Embassy in London.

Addressing a Republican "retreat" in Philadelphia, May said: "When it comes to Russia, as so often, it is wise to turn to the example of President Reagan who, during negotiations with his opposite number Mikhail Gorbachev, used to abide by the adage 'trust but verify."

"With President Putin, my advice is to 'engage but beware".

In an interview with Fox News on Friday, Trump said it would be to the advantage of both Russia and the US to mend ties and pool their efforts in the fight against terrorism, adding that he was looking forward to speaking with his Russian counterpart.

"He called me after I won, but I haven't had a discussion, but I understand we will be having a discussion soon," he said.

Russian envoys around the world are known for their tweets poking fun at Western leaders.

In September of 2014, the Russian embassy to the United Arab Emirates trolled NATO's release of satellite images described as "proof" of Moscow's military involvement in Ukraine.

The diplomats posted a picture of toy trucks, tanks, and armoured vehicles all lined up on the ground, with the words: "#NATO's latest evidence of #Russian armour invading #Ukraine has been leaked! Seems to be the most convincing ever!"

--IANS

ahm/vd