The Kremlin stresses
Moscow is ready for dialogue with Washington
MOSCOW, November 7.
/TASS/. Moscow will consider new possible sanctions by Washington as part of
the Salisbury case as illegal, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters
on Wednesday.
"We view these
restrictions slapped by the US against Russia as illegal and therefore we will
treat similar steps in the same way if they follow," Peskov said when
commenting on Moscow’s reaction to new US sanctions, which may be introduced in
connection with the Skripal poisoning case.
US Department of
State Spokesperson Heather Nauert said earlier Washington was set to act in
accordance with the law on chemical and biological weapons that stipulates
imposing another package of sanctions against Russia. According to the US
diplomat, the Department of State informed the US Congress on Tuesday that it
"could not certify that the Russian Federation met the conditions required
by the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of
1991."
Moscow is in favor of
a dialogue with Washington to solve the existing problems but so far it sees no
bright prospects for normalizing bilateral relations, he said.
According to Peskov,
it is up to the Americans themselves to decide whether the domestic political
situation in the US improved or deteriorated after the elections, and Kremlin
has "no desire whatsoever to intervene there."
"One can assume
with a high degree of confidence that, of course, no bright prospects for
normalizing Russian-American relations are in the offing," the Kremlin
spokesman said when asked about relations between the two countries’ leaders
after the November 6 midterm elections in the US.
"That does not
mean, however, that we seek no dialogue, that we want no dialogue, because we
have numerous problems that require Russian-American intercommunication. These
are the problems of strategic stability and arms control. These problems will
not be solved by themselves without maintaining a dialogue," Peskov
concluded.
When asked whether
the outcome of the US elections could further exacerbate bilateral relations,
the Kremlin spokesman noted that "It would hardly be possible to make them
even more complicated." He stressed that, in spite of all the phobias existing
in the US, Russia has never meddled in the electoral processes in any country,
including the United States, and has no intention of doing so in the
future."
According to the
results of the US midterms held on Tuesday, the Democratic Party has won the
majority of seats in the House of Representatives, while the Republican Party
will retain and strengthen control of the Senate.
Source: ITAR-TASS
07-11-2018
