Russia urges US to remove “irritants” before talks can resume

Russia has called on the United States to take the first step in resolving tensions between the two countries by addressing what it describes as key “irritants” in the bilateral relationship. 

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin made the statement, stressing that it is too early to speak of a new round of dialogue, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“I believe it is premature at this stage to discuss specific questions about where and how such consultations should take place,” Vershinin said. “What matters most is something else. We believe that the irritants you mentioned must indeed be eliminated. But first and foremost, they must be addressed by the American side.”

The senior diplomat insisted that Moscow was not the instigator of the decisions that led to the current breakdown in relations, adding that responsibility for de-escalation now rests with Washington.

Vershinin reiterated that Russia supports the normalisation of ties with all countries, including the United States, but signalled that progress would require substantive changes in U.S. policy.

His remarks come amid a broader diplomatic freeze between Moscow and Washington. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that no strategic arms control talks are currently taking place between the two nuclear powers.

By Vugar Khalilov