MOSCOW, December 8 (Sputnik) – The Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) will hold hearings on Monday to discuss US-Russia relations.
"US actions make a new 'reset' impossible. The hearings will be dedicated to [the question of] how to build relations in the future," the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma, Alexei Pushkov, said, referring to a recent resolution passed by the US Congress, which condemns Russia.
The hearings will be attended by representatives from the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Academy of Sciences. The issue of the conflict in Ukraine and attempts on the part of the United States to isolate Russia will also be brought up for discussion.
On December 4, Congress passed a resolution "strongly condemning the actions of the Russian Federation, under President Vladimir Putin, which has carried out a policy of aggression against neighbouring countries aimed at political and economic domination".
Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated sharply with the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict in mid-April, when Kiev launched a military operation against independence supporters in the country's south-east.
The United States has accused Moscow of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs, claiming that Russia supports militia in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
The United States, the European Union and their allies have imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia over its alleged involvement in the situation in Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly denied its involvement in the Ukrainian crisis, stressing that sanctions are counterproductive and a threat to international peace and stability.
Russia has also been advocating a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis, being a party to the breakthrough meeting in the Belarusian capital Minsk that resulted in the establishment of a ceasefire in the volatile eastern regions of Ukraine on September 5.
