‘We knew and we know that the US can be expected any trick at any moment’

“We have been preparing for this situation that we are witnessing now”

Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Ryabkov made several statements regarding sanctions and relations with the United States. He believes that if there had been no special military operation, Washington would have found a pretext for introducing measures.

“We knew and we know that the US can be expected any trick at any moment. We have been preparing for this situation that we are witnessing now. It is regardless of the special operation. It's not connected to it," he stated.

In developing retaliatory measures against the United States, Russia, according to Ryabkov, will show composure.

“We should not, in my opinion, act in a mirror manner in each specific case," he stressed. He also announced the imminent publication of the list of personal sanctions against Western politicians, entrepreneurs and other figures.

“Yet the configuration has completely changed”

Ryabkov also touched upon the topic of security assurances. According to him, there are no more proposals from Russia in the same form.

“Yet the configuration has completely changed, now the situation is radically different, and the question is to ensure the achievement of the goals set by our leadership for the special military operation, these goals have been repeatedly voiced, they are well known," he said.

According to him, Russia has made “the most serious efforts to preserve and ensure the architecture of European security without collapse, which arose as a result of the absolutely irresponsible, criminal line pursued by the current regime in Kyiv and its sponsors in the West.

“It is impossible to enter some halls, if you don't mind me saying, without gas masks”

Russia, despite the deep crisis in relations, is still ready to work with the United States on security issues and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Ryabkov noted.

“It is clear that the attitude in Congress in relation to our country, the role we play, the approaches and principles that we defend will not change. This is clear. We need, as before, to try to find a way forward. But there are absolutely no grounds for this now, in the current situation. The current crisis has no analogues by its depth and complexity. We will have to deal with this for a long time," said the deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation.

He also commented on the statement of US President Joe Biden about a Third World War.

“This is an attempt to get on the nerves, this is an attempt to impose its agenda on the entire international community. The destructive goals of this line are obvious to us," Ryabkov stressed.

The United States has poisoned the situation on many international platforms of dialogue, said the deputy minister of foreign affairs of Russia.

“There is a certain dialogue on international platforms, where the atmosphere, I must tell you, is just poisoned by the efforts of the United States. It is impossible to enter some halls, if you don't mind me saying, without gas masks because of the feeling that arise there," said the diplomat.

Realnoe Vremya follows the events. Read the details in a special report of the online newspaper.