MOSCOW, December 20. /TASS/. Relations between Russia and the United States will start improving if Washington engages in talks on security guarantees, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Monday.

"If they [the Americans] are willing to meet us halfway in terms of our demands and launch talks on the two draft agreements that we have, I think that we will achieve progress on this path," he pointed out.

On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a draft agreement on security guarantees between Russia and the United States and a draft agreement on ensuring the security of Russia and NATO member states. The documents were handed over to the US at a meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry on December 15.