MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia is not counting on the common sense of representatives of the American elite regardless of party affiliation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday.

"Unfortunately, in the conditions of steadfast Russophobe consensus, when it comes to relations with Russia, we can't expect the American elite, regardless of party affiliation, to show any signs of common sense," he said during the ‘Russia-US: What are the limits of confrontation?’ discussion on the platform of the Valdai International Discussion Club.

Ryabkov noted that even before the recent midterm elections to the US Congress, Russia had no illusions about the elites’ influence on the Russian vector of Washington's policy. "They [the elites] won't [influence anything]," the diplomat added.