WASHINGTON, July 9. /TASS/. The United States and Russia are not enemies and cannot afford not talking to each other, Russia’s Ambassador to US Anatoly Antonov said on Wednesday.
"It is very difficult to talk about Russia-U.S. relations. Too many contradictions have accumulated," he said during a video conference, organized by the Washington-based Center for the National Interest. "There is an ongoing debate on who is more at fault for their deplorable current state. There are contrasting views on who should take the first step towards the other side."
"I have to admit that for now this process resembles walking in a circle without any clear perspective of finding common ground," the ambassador went on.
"On many occasions, I had to persuade the American public that Russia and the U.S. are not enemies. And that we cannot afford the luxury of not talking to each other, despite all the existing disagreements. Due to objective reasons, the well-being of the whole planet depends on the quality of Russia-U.S. relations," he said.