MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. The current condition of relations between Russia and the United States brings to mind only one word - "collapse," for which the US is entirely to blame, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on the Rossiya-24 channel on Tuesday.
"I will probably describe the current state of these relations with just one word - collapse. The relations are ruined. The responsibility for this rests squarely on the United States," he said.
Ryabkov also commented on the suspension of Russia's participation in the strategic arms reduction treaty (New START). He recalled that the cardinal change of circumstances, which occurred not through Russia’s fault, provided grounds under the legal doctrine for a party to the treaty to reconsider its attitude toward its participation in it.
"This is simply a reflection of Washington's fundamentally anti-Russian course, the United States' rejection of Russia's independent, sovereign role in the international arena, and the refusal to perceive us as a state-civilization, which is, I think, convincingly stated in detail in the updated Foreign Policy Concept. For this reason, the agreement is suspended," Ryabkov added.
On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow was suspending its participation in New START, but not withdrawing from it altogether. He stressed that before resuming discussions on further work under the treaty the Russian side should have a clear understanding how the arsenals of not only the United States, but also those of other NATO nuclear powers - Britain and France - will be counted. On March 1, Putin signed a law suspending Russia's participation in New START.