Russia says it will 'never trust West again', fallout over Ukraine war to be 'long crisis'

Russia would “never trust [the] West again”, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicating that the tensions between Moscow and the Western nations would not fade away soon. In an hour-long interview with NBC News, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary said that the fallout over the conflict in Ukraine would “be a long crisis”. According to Peskov, Russia’s ties with the West would stay icy for good. 

When asked about Russia’s relations with the world and if “we are in protracted conflict”, Peskov stressed, “Yes, it will be a long crisis” and added, “We will never trust the West again.”

It is not the first time that Russia has revealed the exact level of its relations with the West, especially during the ongoing Ukraine war. Peskov’s remarks to NBC News came just a few days after he told the RIA news agency that the bilateral relations between both the countries stand at “zero”. 

He said that there was virtually no dialogue between Moscow and Washington. Earlier on Wednesday, the Kremlin spokesperson had also noted that communication remains “essential” in ties with the US as both the countries have further drifted apart since the invasion of Ukraine. 

Meanwhile, in the latest blow to the Russia-US ties, Washington on Tuesday said that “it’s appalling” that Russia indicated that two Americans captured while fighting for the Ukrainian army, could face execution as the Moscow-Kyiv war continues for day 119. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby condemned Moscow for ‘even suggesting’ the death penalty for the two American citizens -- Alexander John-Robert Drueke and Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh -- who fought for Ukraine against Russian troops. 

'Unlikely' for Russia & US to get back to 'spirit of Geneva': Peskov

Russia and the United States have shared strained ties for a long time, however, the onset of the Moscow-Kyiv war and Washington's stringent support for Ukraine has pushed the bilateral ties with Moscow to a new low. Taking cognisance of the present situation, Peskov had also said that it was “unlikely” that both sides would get back to the “spirit of Geneva" which was a reference to the 2021 summit between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 

"Is it possible to return to the spirit of Geneva, when there was some hope? Hardly," Peskov said. "It's unlikely that we can indulge in old hopes when we see what is happening now," he added.

The Kremlin spokesperson added that the future communication between US and Russia would have to be on the basis of “mutual respect and mutual benefit”. Peskov also said, “This is not a topic on the short-term horizon." 

Image: AP