MOSCOW. May 22 (Interfax) - The Kremlin believes the potential for conflict in relations between Russia and the West currently has no tendency to decrease, but says parties continue dialogue despite the obstacles.
"The differences persist, but everyone is trying to conduct dialogue, they are trying to build some relations to find solutions to the conflict potential which, unfortunately, has no tendency to decrease now," Russian presidential press officer Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, commenting on the requests for interviews with Vladimir Putin received by the presidential administration from two leading Western publications.
At the same time, he said that "as soon as we speak for equal relations, equal dialogue, it stops being liked and any representative of the Russian administration stops being comfortable."
"Unfortunately, very many people mean to carry out an attack, both informational and otherwise, suing the special services, etc., on our country and members of our administration. And they have no aversion to any dirt. That comes into sharp contrast with the difficult and contradictory [dialogue], but still dialogue that is being conducted by the president's colleagues on other levels," Peskov said.
"On the one hand, we are all trying to express some political wisdom, and on the other hand, some forces seem to be unwilling to heed this political wisdom, but on the contrary, are trying to put all relationships with our country into complete dirt," Peskov said.