Russia views worsening ties with the United States as one of the biggest disappointments of the year, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said Friday.
Moscow and Washington have traded a series of tit-for-tat measures in 2017 — from embassy staff restrictions and building seizures to “foreign agent” designations on media outlets — following Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.
“It may well be,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was cited as saying by the state-run TASS news agency after being asked if deteriorating U.S.-Russian relations ranked among the Kremlin’s biggest disappointments in 2017.
“Washington’s position towards our country cannot fail to give rise to disappointment,” he said.
His comments came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Russia a "resurgent" country "that has invaded its neighbors."
Speaking with reporters on a conference call, Peskov reiterated Putin’s willingness to restore ties with the U.S.
“You know about our intentions for cooperation. But you need two to tango, as they say.”
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