MOSCOW. Nov 9 (Interfax) - Moscow will not initiate the rupture of diplomatic relations with Washington but will continue to respond to any challenges or provocations on the part of the U.S., Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.
"We would not want that to happen. We believe that as an element of international life, diplomatic relations are basically something that should be preserved and taken care of. Otherwise, we will lose what's left of civilized channels for communicating signals to each other. The point is that we will not initiate any such things, of course," Ryabkov said when asked during his interview with RTVI whether the Russia-U.S. relationship may come to a full breakup in diplomatic ties or any downgrading of diplomatic relations, with mutual recalls of ambassadors.
"At this point, indeed, [we have] an acute crisis in [our] relations, unparalleled in the past. We have to thoroughly calibrate, check every step not to allow any further escalation to happen. This is the way our leadership is telling the Foreign Ministry and other federal executive agencies to act, and we are strictly following this [guidance]," he said.
"So, if you look from this perspective and see, so to speak, Washington's characteristic behavioral model in the current period, I see that anything can happen. A downgrading of the [diplomatic ties] can happen [...] The severance of diplomatic relations is also possible, hypothetically. There is no way for us to know what conclusions are being drawn by people setting the tone in the corridors of power in Washington from what seems to us to be normal, to be natural, predominantly in terms of ensuring our national interests, our security. We are ready for any development [of the situation]," he said.
"Once again, we aren't going to exacerbate anything or push our relationship toward any kind of edge by ourselves. But we are going to respond to any provocations, any challenges, including, if need be, in kind, [or] asymmetrically, provided that there is an alternative option and an interest in something else. But there will always be a response from our side, in one form or another, to any hostile action. I think the Americans have already learnt it well, watching us firmly and consistently standing for our own interests in all azimuths, in all areas," Ryabkov said.