MOSCOW, November 9. /TASS/. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov believes it would be naive to expect that problems in relations between Russia and the United States will be resolved overnight, but Moscow does hope for a dialogue.
"This does not mean that all controversies in bilateral relations can disappear from the agenda. It would be naive to think so," he told the media. "It is most important to have the political will and the determination to handle these controversies through a dialog, and not confrontation or absurd intimidation."
Peskov said that bilateral relations "degraded considerably of late, but this happened not at our initiative."
"Before the relations can be improved they must be retrieved from the shelf where they’ve been gathering dust for a long while," he said.
Peskov pointed out that Russia wished to have a good relationship with the United States and saw many spheres for cooperation. Also, it sought such cooperation with the United States.
"Sadly, we don’t experience reciprocity on all occasions," he added.
Kremlin on 'Russian hand' in US elections
The statements of former US ambassador in Russia Michael McFaul that Russia has successfully intervened in the US presidential election are absurd, Peskov stated.
"I am asking you to recall president [Vladimir] Putin’s statement made at the Valdai Club meeting where he said that it would be absurd to think that any country, including Russia, could influence the election campaign in the United States," Peskov told reporters.
Earlier on Wednesday McFaul tweeted "Putin intervened in our elections and succeeded."
Later the tweet was deleted.
New US administration and anti-Russia sanctions
The change of the US administration will have no effect on Russia’s approach to the issue of sanctions, Kremlin spokesman has warned.
"This is not our issue. This is the issue of those countries that imposed the sanctions," the Kremlin spokesman said in response to a journalists’ question about the prospects of cancelling anti-Russian sanctions.
"The Russian side is not raising this theme," he added.
When saying that the sanctions had been imposed over Russia’s policy towards Crimea, the Kremlin spokesman noted: "Crimea is one of Russian regions."
"The recognition or non-recognition of this fact does not influence de facto and, from our viewpoint, de jure the state of things," Peskov said.