Russia's Main Frustration Factor in Relations with the USA

Ukraine is currently considered the main irritant in relations between Russia and the United States, announced Dmitry Novikov, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, as reported by Lenta.ru.

"At the moment, the primary point of tension between the USA, NATO, and Russia is the Ukrainian conflict, but we should not forget that it did not start in February 2022, but slightly earlier," the deputy stated.

He reminded that back in late 2021, the Foreign Ministry had put forward a number of proposals regarding limiting NATO's activities near Russia's borders and achieving strategic security.

"Today, Ukraine is regarded as the main irritant in our relations. However, Ukraine is not the cause, but rather a consequence of the situation created in previous periods. The Ukrainian issue itself is a result of events from 2014 when certain foundations of constitutional order were disrupted and a coup was carried out on Ukrainian territory," the parliamentarian noted.

Earlier, President Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the process of normalizing relations with the United States is neither here nor there. He mentioned that Russia would like to see greater dynamics but requires signals from both sides for that to happen.