US-Russian relations ‘cannot get worse’ – Moscow – RT Russia and the former Soviet Union

US President Joe Biden’s latest remark indicating his reluctance to negotiate with his Russian counterpart is unlikely to further aggravate an already dire global security situation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. The diplomat noted that Moscow, however, is still open to dialogue, but that it is not”sensitive“Offers have so far been received from Washington.

In an interview with Russian news channel Rossiya 24 that aired on Thursday, Lavrov was asked if he thought Biden’s reluctance to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin would further complicate tensions on the international stage.

« it doesn’t complicate [it] at all, because the state of affairs as it stands today has already been driven, first of all by the United States, to such a state that it cannot get worse, in my opinion,“replied the Russian minister.

The diplomat underlined at the same time that Moscow was not shying away from dialogue with Washington. According to Lavrov, Russia has « never rejected a single serious and sensible offer to maintain contacts. » However, « no one is proposing sensible initiatives, » he added.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden « does not intend to meet President Putin.”

The statement echoes a remark made by the US head of state to CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday.

« Listen, I don’t intend to meet him,Biden said when asked about his plans for the upcoming G20 summit in Bali.

The US President added, however, that “if [Putin] came up to me at the G20 and said ‘I want to talk about the Griner exit’, I would meet him. I mean, it would depend.”

Brittney Griner is the US Women’s National Basketball Association star and Olympic gold medalist who was detained at a Moscow airport in February and later sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court for drug possession.

Presidents Biden and Putin have not spoken to each other directly since Russia launched its military campaign against Ukraine in late February.

Lavrov had made it clear earlier that Moscow would consider such talks if it received a proposal from Washington.