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Hard to imagine any direct contact with US administration at present — senior diplomat

It was stressed that strategic stability cannot be discussed when the developments in and around Ukraine are ignored

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. It is difficult now to speak about any direct communication with the United States as Moscow hears no meaningful ideas for dialogue from Washington, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday.

"Today, it is difficult to speak about any direct lines of communication with the US administration, although we have repeatedly stressed that we never shy away from them. Conditions should be created for the continuation of a constructive dialogue and possible meetings should be meaningful. So far, we hear no constructive ideas on this matter from the Americans," he said during the discussion entitled Russia - USA: What are the Limits of Confrontation? On the platform of the international discussion club Valdai.

He stressed that strategic stability cannot be discussed when the developments in and around Ukraine are ignored. "The Americans and their allies keep on saying that they will not discuss Ukraine without Ukraine. But, first, NATO is discussing Ukraine without Ukraine when it doesn’t invite Ukraine’s delegates. Second, it is absolutely clear to all that it is impossible to discuss strategic stability today while ignoring everything that is going on in and around Ukraine," Ryabkov noted.

"The West has declared its goal of defeating Russia strategically. Do they really think that such a position, where they want to literally bring one of the key players in the sphere of strategic stability to its knees, has no importance for strategic stability? They tell us that Ukraine is to be discussed with the Ukrainians when they want it, and meanwhile we will discuss nuclear weapons and, maybe, strategic stability at some point in the future. It is at the very least naive to think that," he added.

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