Russia sets conditions for normalizing relations with the US

In the first high-level meeting with his US counterpart after Washington approved new sanctions against Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia is ready to normalize relations with the US.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (Photo: Reuters)

The meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took place yesterday, August 6, on the sidelines of the ASEAN regional security conference in Manila.

Sharing with the press about this meeting, Mr. Lavrov said: "The first thing he (Secretary of State Tillerson) was interested in was the details of our (Russia) decision to respond to the US sanctions bill. We gave him an explanation."

The Russian Foreign Ministry later issued a statement saying: “Foreign Minister Lavrov pointed out that the US bill on sanctions against Russia has become another link in the chain of unfriendly and dangerous actions for international stability, and is a blow to the prospects of bilateral relations.”

“Naturally, such actions, including the illegal seizure of Russian diplomatic property, cannot be ignored and must not be allowed to recur in the future. However, we are ready to normalize bilateral dialogue if Washington abandons confrontation,” the statement said.

The information was released in the context of the US Congress passing new sanctions against Russia. In response to this move as well as the US confiscating diplomatic premises and expelling Russian diplomats at the end of last year, President Vladimir Putin asked the US to cut 755 diplomatic staff working in Russia before September 1.

These retaliatory moves have caused Russia-US relations to be said to be at an "unprecedentedly dangerous low".

According to VNN