Interfax: Signals coming in that U.S. plans to suspend dialogue with Russia even in areas where it benefits U.S. itself – Russian diplomat

MOSCOW. April 3 (Interfax) – Signals are being received from Washington that the United States intends to put its dialogue with Russia on hold even in areas in which contacts between the two countries benefit the U.S. itself, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

“In recent days we have been flooded by signals from Washington that in light of the events in Crimea and Ukraine, the U.S. administration is changing the entire pattern of its dialogue and cooperation with us in a wide range of areas,” he told Interfax on Thursday.

Ryabkov said that the U.S. administration, “seeking to demonstrate its refusal to recognize the free expression of will by the population in Crimea and the decisions adopted by us in connection with it, plans to suspend contacts even in areas where, in our opinion, the continuation of our dialogue meets the interests of the U.S. itself.”

The decision to suspend the Russian-U.S. dialogue will not only affect the core elements of the two countries’ agenda, Ryabkov said.

“And there are scores of problems there, ranging from humanitarian and consular issues to the need to sort out the situation with flights by our airlines and resume exhibition exchanges,” he said.