MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. A visit of the US representative delegation to Europe in order to discuss sanctions against Russia is a link in the chain of efforts to escalate the situation in the region, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS on Wednesday.
According to him, Moscow finds this visit deeply regrettable. "Yet this is a link in the chain of multifaceted efforts both on the further worsening of bilateral relations with Russia and on escalating the situation in Europe, despite and contrary to those proposals that we are making," the diplomat stressed, adding that Russia is holding a "patient and demanding conversation with the US" on this subject.
"Let them discuss what they want with their allies. The resiliency of our economy against sanctions has been proven by time and practice," he noted.
That said, the senior diplomat expressed hope that the West still has some common sense left. According to him, Russia is open to dialogue and hopes that when its Western partners receive Russian responses to their reaction on security guarantees, the anti-Russian hysteria will subside and the West will take on a "more constructive agenda."
Earlier, it was reported that a delegation of the US Department of the Treasury and the US Department of State was traveling to Europe to discuss technical coordination on sanctions against Russia if the situation around Ukraine escalates. The trip includes visits to the UK, France, Belgium and Germany.