Moscow and Washington are trying to find a foothold but their efforts haven’t been successful so far, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with the International Affairs magazine, published on Thursday, Trend reports referring to TASS.
"I would stretch the truth if I said that we consider the prospects [for Russian-US relations] as bright. There are few reasons for optimism. More likely, there are signs indicating that we are in for a long period of uncertainty," he said.
According to the senior Russian diplomat, despite negative trends, the two countries are trying "to find a foothold" to give positive impetus to dialogue. "We haven’t been successful so far. I regret to say that due to various reasons, most of which stem from the domestic political situation, a struggle continues in the US and Russia has become a tool in this struggle, used for settling scores. This is the main reason why we haven’t succeeded in improving relations yet," Ryabkov added.
In addition, the Russian deputy foreign minister noted that the Trump administration’s inclination to take unilateral actions was another reason for tensions. "What is going on in the arms control area, for instance, is a clear proof of that. We understand it and maintain dialogue, we will not abandon this course," he said.
Ryabkov was hopeful that by the end of 2019, it will be possible to talk about an improvement in relations at least in some areas.