"The two leaders stressed the special importance of developing trade and economic cooperation, and restoring ties between the business communities," Gonchar said. "Sadly, the anti-Russian campaign ongoing in the United States for months, blown-up in the wake of unfounded accusations about Moscow's interference in the US elections, does not help the normalization of relations. The significant understaffing of the administration’s economic departments remains a deterrent."
Gonchar noted the volume of bilateral trade and economic cooperation had previously been low, but it has now decreased even more.
"At the end of 2016, Russian-American trade turnover amounted to only $20.3 billion, which is less than 0.5 percent of America's foreign trade turnover," Gonchar stated. "The former administration of Barack Obama with its policy of restraining relations, limiting ties and imposing sanctions on Russia had significant impact on it."
US-Russian relations worsened since 2014 against the background of Ukrainian crisis and Crimea's reunification with Russia. The United States and its allies in Europe imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia, blaming Moscow for interfering with Ukraine's inner affairs. In addition, Washington accused Kremlin of meddling in the 2016 US election.
Russia has repeatedly denied the US allegations calling them absurd and warned the Western sanctions are counterproductive measures that undermine global stability.
