(REPORT) — Kremlin officials today warned that Russo-American relations are not just bad but practically non-existent, saying that virtually all channels of communication between the two nations are frozen, and that communication that is done is “minimal.”
The comments, made by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, came in the context of a discussion about NATO tensions, and the possibility of improved relations as the result of President-elect Donald Trump taking office next month. Peskov insisted that the Russian government doesn’t expect Trump to quickly reject NATO enlargement or other grievances.
The State Department dismissed the Russian comments, insisting they had no idea what Peskov was talking about, and that the US and Russia have ongoing diplomatic engagement “across a wide range of issues.”
The US imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia this week, nominally related to the accession of Crimea into the Russian Federation. Sen. John McCain (R – AZ) also accused Russia of a plot to “destroy democracy” worldwide, causing an “unraveling of the world order.”