JAKARTA - Russia says relations with the United States are at an all-time low, dismissing the idea that the two sides could reverse things in the remainder of US President Joe Biden's term.
"Unfortunately, bilateral relations may be at their lowest point in history," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.
"There is no hope for future improvements (the remainder of President Biden's term of office)," Peskov said.
Bad US-Russian relations became increasingly tense last year, when Russia invaded Ukraine, prompting Washington and its allies to respond with a series of sanctions against Russia's economy.
The United States has also given Kyiv substantial economic and military support, drawing criticism from Russian officials accusing Washington of playing a direct role in the conflict.
Although there have been frequent diplomatic successes, including prisoner swaps involving US Marine veteran Trevor Reed and basketball star Brittney Griner, high-level contacts are rare.
US-Russian talks on continuing inspections under the New START nuclear weapons restriction agreement were canceled in the last minute of November.
The Kremlin has also rejected the idea of face-to-face talks between President Biden and President Vladimir Putin, who last met in person in Geneva, Switzerland in June 2021.
"The last two years, despite initial expectations regarding Geneva, have been very bad for bilateral relations," Peskov said.
However, the Kremlin remains open to further talks between Russian foreign spy chief Sergei Naryshkin and US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, who met in Ankara, Turkey in November.
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