BERLIN, October 23. /TASS/. The Russian-German relationship currently looks bleak, and its deterioration cannot be blamed on Moscow, Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev told TASS in an interview.

"Since the launch of the special military operation in Ukraine, the German side has been avoiding dialogue as it has opted to inflict a 'strategic defeat on Russia,' and has taken the initiative in destroying the economic foundations of our relations and abstained from joint projects and initiatives, including those in the fields of science and culture as well as youth and interregional exchanges," the Russian diplomat said.

"The degradation of bilateral relations is not our choice. It is Berlin that seeks to destroy them," Nechayev said, noting that Germany is among the leaders as regards the number of Russian diplomats it has expelled.

Also, Germany "has been providing large-scale support to the Kiev regime, by sending the latest weapons and military hardware as well," the Russian envoy noted.