- Russia says there is no hope of improvement in the near future.
- Relations have worsened with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- “The last two years have been very bad for bilateral relations,” the official said.
Russia said on Friday that relations with the United States were at an all-time low, rejecting the idea that the two sides could change things halfway through US President Joe Biden’s presidency.
“Unfortunately, bilateral relations are at a historic low,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “There is no hope of improvement in the future.”
Already strained U.S.-Russia relations soured last year when Russia invaded Ukraine.which prompted Washington and its allies to respond with a barrage of sanctions against Russia’s economy.
The US has also provided substantial aid to Kyiv. Economic and military supportThere has been condemnation from Russian officials who have accused Washington of playing a direct role in the conflict.
While there have been occasional diplomatic successes, including the prisoner swaps of U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed and basketball star Brittany Griner, high-level contact has been rare.
Talks between the US and Russia on resuming inspections under the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) were canceled at the last minute in November last year, with the Kremlin calling for face-to-face talks between Biden and the president. The idea was rejected. Vladimir Putin – who last met in person in June 2021 in Geneva.
Peskov said that the past two years have been very bad for bilateral relations, despite initial timid hopes for Geneva.
The Kremlin has kept open the possibility of further talks between Russian foreign spy Sergei Naryshkin and the US. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns, who met in Ankara in November.