Russia warns of 'complete breakdown' in relations with the US

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In an interview with Interfax, the Russian official accused the United States of pursuing a “wrong” and “dangerous” policy aimed at inflicting “strategic defeat” on Moscow. Mr. Ryabkov said these actions had plunged bilateral relations into a “coma.” Mr. Ryabkov added that there could even be a “complete breakdown” in bilateral relations, adding that this scenario would mean a significant reduction in the respective diplomatic presences in the two countries.

The Russian diplomat said that while the US is wary of completely severing ties, it is “not ready to find common ground… even in theory.” Although the two powers continue to talk in a number of narrow areas, “this balance can collapse at any moment due to Washington’s recklessness,” Ryabkov said. He said that the seizure of Russian assets or the escalation of military action could be one of the reasons for the worsening of the situation. Deputy Minister Ryabkov stressed that Russia is not seeking to sever ties, but warned that it is “ready for any scenario.”
Mr. Ryabkov also admitted that Russia and the United States have the potential to restore relations, although this would be difficult. “The problem is that the American ruling class finds it extremely difficult to accept the changing world order. Many of them simply cannot get rid of their own superiority,” he explained.

Ryabkov’s comments came after the New York Times reported on Thursday that the White House had intensified talks to seize $300 billion in frozen Russian assets in the West that could be used to help Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denounced the freezing of its funds as “theft,” warning of retaliation if the West continues to seize assets.

In addition, Deputy Minister Ryabkov stated that Russia is ready to respond quickly to the US deployment of short- and medium-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Deputy Minister Ryabkov said that Moscow is closely monitoring developments and potential missile deployments by the US and is ready to quickly make the necessary political decisions to respond accordingly. Interfax also quoted Mr. Ryabkov as affirming that Russia and the US are still maintaining contact on the possibility of prisoner exchange between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov accused Washington of trying to intimidate Moscow's partners with new sanctions, saying such actions almost completely block the possibility of restoring a respectful dialogue between the two sides. Commenting on the new US sanctions package, Ambassador Antonov stated: "Most of the measures (sanctions) announced by the (US) Treasury Department are aimed at organizations in third countries. One can clearly see the intention to intimidate our partners, pushing them to cut off mutually beneficial relations with the Russian Federation under the ostentation of geopolitical slogans. The US seems not to understand or does not want to understand that through such reckless actions it is contributing to the fragmentation of the world economy, as well as weakening the position of the US dollar in the eyes of the countries of the Southern Hemisphere and even the US satellites."
On December 22, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to tighten sanctions against Russia and propose restrictions on financial institutions conducting transactions that, in Washington's view, benefit the Russian defense industry.
Responding to the move, the Telegram channel of the Russian Embassy in the US quoted Mr. Antonov as arguing: "Washington's sanctions ideas cause further damage to bilateral relations. They essentially eliminate any possibility of restoring a respectful dialogue between the powers, even on a short list of topics where Russia and the US can still share similar views."
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