Russia: Sanctions Never Part of US Dialogue on Irritants
Quick Look
- Russia's Foreign Ministry states that sanctions have never been on the agenda for discussions with the US aimed at eliminating irritants.
- Alexander Gusarov called unilateral American restrictions an illegitimate instrument of pressure that cannot be negotiated.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Russian Foreign Ministry official was responding to a question about unilateral American restrictions. The dialogue on eliminating irritants refers to ongoing diplomatic efforts between Russia and the US to address points of friction in their relationship.
MOSCOW, June 2. /TASS/. The topic of sanctions has never been on the agenda of the Russian-American dialogue on eliminating irritants, said head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of the North Atlantic Alexander Gusarov.
"Regarding unilateral American restrictions you mentioned, they have never been the subject of our dialogue on irritants. We consider such restrictions to be a priori an illegitimate instrument of pressure on our country, which in principle cannot be subject to discussion or negotiation. We proceed from the fact that Washington and other Western capitals themselves must mature to the point of understanding the inconsistency and futility of such self-imposed prohibitions," he said in an interview with the International Affairs magazine.
Open Questions
- What specific 'irritants' are being discussed in the Russian-American dialogue?
- What are Russia's proposed solutions for addressing these irritants, if sanctions are off the table?
- What is the current status or progress of the dialogue on eliminating irritants?
- What are the specific 'unilateral American restrictions' being referred to?
