Russia-US ties at 'zero', no dialogue between both nations amid war in Ukraine: Kremlin

In the latest development pertaining to deteriorating Russia-US ties, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated that the bilateral relations between both the countries stand at “zero”. He told the RIA news agency 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. 

As the Russia-Ukraine war continued unabated for day 113, a Kremlin spokesperson told RIA on Thursday that Russia and US must discuss the extension of the START nuclear arms reduction treaty. According to Peskov, the matters surrounding the treaty were significant for global security and Russia’s military operation in Ukraine was no reason to avoid its discussions. 

Peskov’s remarks on Thursday came a day after he emphasised the importance of dialogue between the US and Russia. In a conference call on Wednesday, when asked about the bilateral ties with Washington, the Kremlin spokesperson said,

“Communication is essential, in the future we will still have to communicate…The US is not going anywhere, Europe is not going anywhere, so somehow we will have to communicate with them”. 

'Unlikely' for Russia 7 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 ad 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." 

Earlier this month, United States' envoy to Russia, John Sullivan, in an interview with TASS, shed light on the Russia-US ties in view of the ongoing Ukraine war. As the relations between Moscow and Washington deteriorated over the former's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Sullivan told the Russian news agency that both sides are “never completely separating”. According to the US envoy, Washington and Kremlin cannot afford to sever the diplomatic ties “completely”. Sullivan added that both countries “should have embassies” which is the “bare minimum.”

Image: AP