Reuters, Moscow :
The Kremlin said on Wednesday almost all communications channels between Russia and the United States have been frozen but the U.S. State Department disputed the statement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia did not expect the incoming U.S. administration to quickly reject enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and that almost all communication with the United States had ceased, according to a Russian news agency.
There are fears among allies that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could withdraw funding for NATO at a time of heightened tensions with Moscow. Russia has said it would take countermeasures in response to any expansion of the 28-member military alliance.
“Almost every level of dialogue with the United States is frozen,” RIA quoted Peskov as saying. “We don’t communicate with one another, or (if we do) we do so minimally.”
Peskov’s reported comments came as tensions between Moscow and Washington are growing, a month before U.S. President Barack Obama hands over power to Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.
State Department spokesman John Kirby quickly rejected Peskov’s statement.
“It’s difficult to know exactly what is meant by this comment, but diplomatic engagement with Russia continues across a wide range of issues,” Kirby said in an emailed statement. “That we have significant differences with Moscow on some of these issues is well known, but there hasn’t been a break in dialogue.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone on Tuesday regarding the situation in Syria, Kirby said.
Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed in recent talks find a solution to the Syrian crisis. While the United States had been excluded from those talks, communications with Moscow on ending the war continued, Kirby told his daily briefing later on Wednesday.
“We weren’t in the meeting in Moscow, but it’s not as if we haven’t had communication with them before and then right after that meeting,” Kirby told reporters, adding that the United States was in touch with Moscow on concerns over Ukraine’s conflict.
Pressed on what Peskov could have meant, Kirby added: “I think you should ask Mr. Peskov what he means by his comments. From our perspective there is no break in the dialogue.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called for reinforcing the country’s military nuclear potential and making sure its missiles can penetrate any missile-defence systems.
“We need to strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces, especially with missile complexes that can reliably penetrate any existing and prospective missile defence systems,” Putin said at a defence ministry meeting, quoted by Russian agencies.
“We must carefully monitor any changes in the balance of power and in the political-military situation in the world, especially along Russian borders, and quickly adapt plans for neutralising threats to our country.”
He said Russia’s military had successfully shown its capabilities in Syria. “The Syrian army received considerable support, thanks to which it carried out several successful operations against militants.”
Russia has flown an air campaign in Syria since September 2015 in support of President Bashar al-Assad, with its special operations contingents also operating on the ground in the country.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday almost all communications channels between Russia and the United States have been frozen but the U.S. State Department disputed the statement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia did not expect the incoming U.S. administration to quickly reject enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and that almost all communication with the United States had ceased, according to a Russian news agency.
There are fears among allies that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could withdraw funding for NATO at a time of heightened tensions with Moscow. Russia has said it would take countermeasures in response to any expansion of the 28-member military alliance.
“Almost every level of dialogue with the United States is frozen,” RIA quoted Peskov as saying. “We don’t communicate with one another, or (if we do) we do so minimally.”
Peskov’s reported comments came as tensions between Moscow and Washington are growing, a month before U.S. President Barack Obama hands over power to Trump, who has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.
State Department spokesman John Kirby quickly rejected Peskov’s statement.
“It’s difficult to know exactly what is meant by this comment, but diplomatic engagement with Russia continues across a wide range of issues,” Kirby said in an emailed statement. “That we have significant differences with Moscow on some of these issues is well known, but there hasn’t been a break in dialogue.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone on Tuesday regarding the situation in Syria, Kirby said.
Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed in recent talks find a solution to the Syrian crisis. While the United States had been excluded from those talks, communications with Moscow on ending the war continued, Kirby told his daily briefing later on Wednesday.
“We weren’t in the meeting in Moscow, but it’s not as if we haven’t had communication with them before and then right after that meeting,” Kirby told reporters, adding that the United States was in touch with Moscow on concerns over Ukraine’s conflict.
Pressed on what Peskov could have meant, Kirby added: “I think you should ask Mr. Peskov what he means by his comments. From our perspective there is no break in the dialogue.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called for reinforcing the country’s military nuclear potential and making sure its missiles can penetrate any missile-defence systems.
“We need to strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces, especially with missile complexes that can reliably penetrate any existing and prospective missile defence systems,” Putin said at a defence ministry meeting, quoted by Russian agencies.
“We must carefully monitor any changes in the balance of power and in the political-military situation in the world, especially along Russian borders, and quickly adapt plans for neutralising threats to our country.”
He said Russia’s military had successfully shown its capabilities in Syria. “The Syrian army received considerable support, thanks to which it carried out several successful operations against militants.”
Russia has flown an air campaign in Syria since September 2015 in support of President Bashar al-Assad, with its special operations contingents also operating on the ground in the country.
