Antonov said that the United States does not want a complete severance of diplomatic relations with Russia

The United States is not interested in a complete severance of diplomatic relations with Russia, such a conclusion can be drawn from the statements of the White House representatives. About it declared Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

“Judging by the statements of administration officials, the American side is not interested in a complete severance of diplomatic relations with Russia,” Antonov believes. He added that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has repeatedly noted that Washington wants to have two-way communication channels with Moscow.

The ambassador pointed out that the US Congress continues to promote the idea of ​​recognizing Russia as a “sponsor of terrorism.” Such a decision could lead to the confiscation of state assets, Antonov stressed. “At the same time, the US regulations do not directly mention the automatic termination of diplomatic relations,” the diplomat said.

He also said that the decision to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism would lead to “tough retaliatory measures” from Moscow.

Former Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova allowedthat assigning Russia the status of “sponsor of terrorism” will lead to a severance of diplomatic relations with the United States. According to her, such a decision could become a “point of no return” in relations between Russia and the United States.

In late April, Anthony Blinken said that Washington was considering including Russia in the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. This status has already received Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria.

At the same time, the US Congress continues to promote this idea, bypassing the US State Department. In July, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said that Congress intends to declare Russia a sponsor of terrorism if Blinken does not. Later, a resolution with the same appeal to the State Department was adopted by the US Senate, and a corresponding bill was submitted to the House of Representatives.

However, according to newspaper Politico, the State Department made it clear to Congress that it fears the consequences if such a decision is made. In particular, the State Department is worried about the grain deal, which allows the export of agricultural products from Ukrainian ports.

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