MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia can definitely work with the administration of Donald Trump after he is sworn in as U.S. president next month, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday.
Ryabkov reiterated accusations by Moscow that “reckless” actions by the West had raised the risk of nuclear war and described the global security as depressing. Russia, he said, wanted to reduce the potential for conflict.
“Managing this crisis and getting to less shaky ground than now should be put on the agenda of hypothetical discussions with the Americans,” Ryabkov told a panel discussion.
“Is it possible to work with the Trump administration? It’s definitely possible,” he replied when asked about the potential for cooperation.
His comments were the latest signal that Moscow, once Trump takes office, hopes for an improvement in bilateral ties which the Kremlin has said are currently “below zero”.
President Vladimir Putin said last month that Trump’s comments about ending the war in Ukraine – which the American has said repeatedly he could halt very quickly, but without saying how – were deserving of attention.
Ryabkov said he wanted to underline that no contacts of any kind had so far taken place between Russia and the incoming Trump team.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov, Writing by Mark Trevelyan,; Editing by Peter Graff and Timothy Heritage)
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