Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says there are tensions between his country and the United States but relations between the two have not broken down.
“It’s clear there is no Cold War that we should expect,” Lavrov said in Washington on Friday. “We shouldn’t expect any aggravation.”
Lavrov made the remarks after a meeting with his American counterpart John Kerry as part of the so-called “2+2” talks in which Russian defense minister, Sergey Shoygu, and US Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel, also took part.
Relations between the two military giants have strained further espeacillay after Moscow granted a one-year asylum to former CIA contractor Edward Snowden who is wanted in the US for espionage.
US authorities stressed several times that the intelligence leaker must be extradited to the US. Lavrov, however, said on Friday that there is no extradition treaty between Russia and the US.
He also added that his country had acted in accordance with international law in giving Snowden temporary asylum.
US President Barack Obama said Friday that Russia has adopted a more anti-American attitude reminiscent of the Cold War since Vladimir Putin returned to power as president.
after Putin returned to the Kremlin he “saw more rhetoric on the Russian side that was anti-American, that played into some of the old stereotypes about the Cold War contest between the United States and Russia,” Obama said.
MA/MA
Republished from: Press TV