Russia is not refusing contacts with United States, deputy FM says

Russia is not withdrawing from contacts with the United States and strictly adheres to the framework agreed in Anchorage, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has stated.

He noted that the question is whether the US administration is ready to continue playing a significant role in filling these frameworks with concrete substance, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“I believe that high-level contacts will clarify this issue. (…) It is for the US administration to respond,” he told journalists on the sidelines of the First International Security Forum held under the auspices of the Russian Security Council.

Ryabkov also said Russia expects the United States to take a responsible approach to threats of strikes on Kyiv following a phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“Yesterday, the Secretary of State was given an explanation of what led us to this decision. (…) I can say that the Secretary of State carefully received all the signals sent to him by our minister, and it is hoped that the administration’s response to them will be responsible,” the deputy foreign minister emphasised.

Ryabkov added that Moscow and Washington do not currently have agreements on the visit of US representatives to Russia.

“Regarding the visit of high-ranking American representatives, I cannot say anything. As far as I know, there is no agreement on this yet, although we have received signals that such a possibility exists, and they have also become public knowledge. (…) The appearance in Moscow or elsewhere in one form or another of American negotiators would certainly be welcomed by us, but at present, there is no understanding either on the schedule or on the parameters of such contact. At this point, I have nothing to say on this,” he stressed.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov