WASHINGTON, December 22. /TASS/. Moscow believes that the export restrictions imposed by the US Department of Commerce on more than four dozen Russian organizations and industrial enterprises are destructive and such steps drive relations into an even deeper crisis, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said on Tuesday, answering media questions.

"Such actions of the administration are destructive. They not only undermine the continuing economic interaction between our countries, but also diminish any positive prospects," the ambassador stressed. "Baseless allegations that our flagship industrial companies, scientific and R&D institutes "undermine" the US national security are absolutely unacceptable."

According to Antonov, "such steps drive our relations into an even deeper crisis." "It will be possible to get out of this crisis only if the United States is ready to build relations on the principles of equality and mutual respect. So far, we do not see such a desire," he noted.