Sergey Ryabkov Photo: Ria Novosti
Russia’s Foreign Ministry does not currently consider it possible to resume dialogue with the United States on strategic stability and nuclear arms control, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. According to the diplomat, Russia and the United States continue to exchange signals on the situation in Ukraine through closed channels, maintaining a low-level military-political dialogue, Reuters reports.
At the same time, the Russian side is ready to listen to US President-elect Donald Trump’s proposals for resolving the Ukrainian conflict. “We are responsible for any initiatives of other countries in this area,” Ryabkov said. However, he noted that a quick resolution of the Ukrainian crisis is not expected.
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his election victory, expressing hope for a constructive dialogue, especially in light of Trump’s statements about his desire to end the war. At the same time, Trump told NBC that he had not yet had contact with Putin since the election, but expressed readiness for a future conversation.
Ryabkov also stressed that Russia is considering severing diplomatic relations with the United States if Washington freezes Russia’s assets or continues to escalate tensions over Ukraine.
In addition, the Russian diplomat commented on changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which allow for the use of nuclear weapons in the event of a serious crisis in relations with the West or an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. Ryabkov noted that the final decision on such changes will be made by President Putin as the supreme commander-in-chief.
Earlier in September, Putin said that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional missile strike or in the event of an attack backed by a nuclear power.
