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Russian security chief warns US would be to blame for ‘tough days’ with Moscow

Nikolai Patrushev stressed that Russia had not taken any hostile steps against the United States

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/. Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev has said that, if the United States created "tough days" in relations with Russia, it would be responsible for that.

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"Since they [Americans - TASS] predict that, that means that they are planning that. And if they are planning that, they can implement that, but then they will be responsible for the steps that they would take," he told reporters on Wednesday commenting on remarks by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

This is not the first statement on that score made by US officials, Patrushev recalled.

He stressed that Russia had not taken any hostile steps against the United States. "We are committed to constructive cooperation that would take into account the interests of each of the parties and that would be equal. Let me emphasize that we haven’t taken any hostile steps against the United States, we are not taking any now, nor are we planning to take any in the future," he said.

On Monday, Sullivan said in an interview with the MSNBC TV channel that the United States was anticipating "tough days" in relations with Russia because of profound disagreements between Moscow and Washington and actions that the US needs to respond to. According to Sullivan, the two countries can work together on key issues such as the nuclear question. He warned that this relationship would not be easy due to significant challenges, and America will be required to stand up for its interests.

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