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Russian diplomat says messages Trump sends in address to Congress important for Moscow

"The current state of Russian-US relations leaves much to be desired," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov noted

MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. Messages that US President Donald Trump will send in his address to Congress are important for Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at a round table discussion dedicated to Russian-US relations, which was held at the State Duma (lower house of parliament).

"I would like to point out that today President Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress," he said. "It is important that we assess the messages that he will send in his first congressional address as head of a super power."

"The current state of Russian-US relations leaves much to be desired, as we all understand," the deputy foreign minister went on to say. "It would be no exaggeration to say that our relations have fallen to the lowest level since the Cold War."

"The basis for cooperation, which had been built over the years, was almost completely destroyed by the previous US administration," Ryabkov said. "Barack Obama and his team turned to raise tensions with us long before the Ukrainian crisis broke out. Various ways to exert pressure on Russia have been used for a long time now."