Kremlin welcomes US Russia Day message as 'very positive'
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's Russia Day message was "very positive news", indicating a potential change in relations between Moscow and Washington.
Mr. Rubio congratulated the Russian people on Russia Day, celebrated on June 12, and pledged to work toward resolving the Ukraine conflict.
“This is very positive news,” Peskov told journalist Pavel Zarubin on June 12, commenting on the message. According to the spokesman, the move “once again shows that the current administration in Washington is completely different from the previous Biden administration.”
He added that, "despite the many disagreements that have existed and will always exist" between Russia and the US, the Trump administration "supports dialogue and resolving the most difficult issues through dialogue." "This coincides with our approach," he added.
In his statement on June 11, Secretary Rubio emphasized US support for the aspirations of the Russian people for a brighter future and reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing constructive engagement with Moscow to achieve lasting peace in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
"We hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relationships between our countries," the top US diplomat added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sybiga said it was "unpleasant" to read about some countries sending greetings to Russia on the holiday.
US-Russia relations sank to their lowest point in decades under then-US President Joe Biden after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022. Mr. Trump moved to restore direct dialogue with Moscow.
Earlier this week, Russia's new ambassador to the United States, Aleksandr Darchiev, said he met with President Trump at the White House to present his credentials. He promised the US president that the embassy would "do everything to restore Russian-American relations," and expressed confidence that the two powers "will live together peacefully without confrontation."