Kremlin Nixes Meeting Between Top U.S., Russian Diplomats in Response to New Sanctions
Sanctions are 'continuation of trend set by Obama administration aimed at ruining relations between our countries,' Russian deputy foreign minister says after canceling his meeting with U.S. undersecretary of state
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday he was cancelling his meeting with U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon this week in response to new U.S. sanctions against Moscow.
The U.S. government on Tuesday added 38 individuals and organizations to its list of those sanctioned over Russian activities in Ukraine, the U.S. Treasury said in a statement.
This step "is a continuation of the trend set by the Obama administration aimed at ruining relations between our countries", Ryabkov said in a statement posted on the site of Russia's Foreign Ministry.
U.S. actions sharply devalued Washington's assertions it wanted dialogue with Moscow, the statement said.
Ryabkov had said on Monday that he and Shannon would meet in St Petersburg on June 23 to discuss "problems in bilateral ties".