Russia-U.S. relations on brink of breakup - Deputy FM Ryabkov

MOSCOW. March 22 (Interfax) - The further development of relations between Moscow and Washington depends on the United States, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday.

"A note of protest was passed to the American ambassador yesterday. It said that the current developments put these relations on the brink of a breakup. There is nothing here beyond what was said there: that the question is about a policy that the U.S. will choose," Ryabkov said when asked whether Russia plans to recall its ambassador from Washington.

In order to preserve relations with Russia, the United States should stop making threats to Moscow and should stop supplying Ukraine with weapons, Ryabkov said.

"The question as to what steps need to be taken to preserve relations is certainly right. They simply need to stop in their escalation, both verbal escalation and in terms of stuffing the Kyiv region with weapons. They need to stop producing threats to Russia," he told reporters in Moscow after being asked by Interfax whether Russia understands what Washington can do to keep relations.

"Meanwhile, if they do manage to somehow positively influence Kyiv, something that I not just doubt, but I am confident that it will not happen, unfortunately, then, I think, there will be a certain prospect for normalizing relations," he said.

"For now, we see a downward tendency in relations with our country through the fault of the U.S.," he said.

"We regret it, but it does not impact our determination to move toward accomplishing the goals of the special military operation and to adapt to the circumstances related to the American sanctions and the sanctions imposed by European satellites of the U.S. at its behest," Ryabkov said.