Kremlin: Moscow-Washington Relations at Lowest Level
"Here, perhaps, it is possible to mention the positive aspect that no matter how hard it is in other areas, there are still certain channels for dialogue. Heads of state are in dialogue, communication is underway in other areas. This is a plus. This is a plus, because, you know, just a couple of years ago, we had zero dialogue, as such, there were no contacts. But otherwise, unfortunately, in bilateral relations we can only speak about minuses. We are at a very, very low level, relations are pretty much non-existent", Peskov said.
"In terms of conceptual issues for us, the Americans are ignoring our concerns, I mean the issue raised by President [Vladimir] Putin about security guarantees. Therefore, in this regard, there is no optimism, but we still hope. As reasonable people, we prepare for the worst but we still hope for the best", he said.
"President Putin has repeatedly said that we are not ready to make this entire dialogue multi-year negotiations, because otherwise, it will be conducted in parallel with specific actions of the NATO countries and the United States to arm Ukraine, to draw Ukraine into the military infrastructure of NATO and the gradual absorption of Ukraine by NATO. This is not in our interests", Peskov said, adding that this is a threat to Russia and the country needs to take measures to minimise risks.
"Putin is very consistent in his approach to our, well, I want to say, partners, but, unfortunately, they are now more opponents than partners. He is straightforward when he asks questions and expects direct answers. And just as in 2007 he directly raised questions, so in 2022 he directly raised questions in the drafts of the two documents that were handed over to Washington and NATO. We didn't get direct answers," Peskov said.
"Moreover, we note an attempt to concentrate on secondary details and an attempt to avoid any understanding of the issues that are of critical importance to us. But, I have no doubt that President Putin will continue to be consistent in his position and will insist that those issues that are actually existential issues for us, so that these issues are not left without attention and are not ignored", Peskov said.
