Russia Downplays Cooling of Relations With US After Washington Threatens Sanctions

‘I am confident, they see our sincere desire to normalize relations,’ Moscow’s deputy foreign minister said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in Moscow on April 12, 2023. The Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation via AP

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov on Thursday downplayed the cooling of relations between Moscow and Washington after the United States threatened a new round of sanctions.

When asked during a press conference in Moscow whether the positive trend in U.S.–Russia relations had faded, Ryabkov said he disagreed but said that the Trump administration was acting erratically.