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US congressman says probe into Russia’s 'interference' in election no obstacle to dialogue

Earlier the US legislators announced an investigation into the alleged cyberattacks which Washington had been blaming on Moscow

NEW YORK, April 10. /TASS/. The US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russia’s alleged interference in the US presidential election will not hamper Washington’s dialogue with Moscow, said California Congressman Adam Schiff in an interview with ABC.

When asked if it would be possible to reset the US relationship with Russia as long as the investigations were still outstanding, Schiff, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said that he did not think that the "investigation is the obstacle to a different relationship with Russia." "I think Russia is the obstacle. Their interests are not aligned with ours except in very narrow areas," he added.

Schiff went on saying that Russia was "not aligned in their invasion of Ukraine and their possession of Crimea illegally."

"They are not aligned in Syria where their primary object, contrary to what the president has said, has not been going after ISIS, it's been going after the moderate opposition to the Assad regime. They’re not aligned with respect to NATO, which they want to see weakened. They’re not aligned in Europe, which they'd like to see dissolved," the congressman said.

The US legislators earlier announced an investigation into the alleged cyberattacks against US targets which Washington had been blaming on Moscow. These allegations led the United States to introduce sanctions particularly against Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Besides, in late 2016, the US authorities expelled 35 Russian diplomats and shut down two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland.

Russia has been repeatedly refuting its involvement in the alleged cyberattacks. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that sanctions were an act of aggression.