Russia says no mechanisms in place yet for economic cooperation with US

Burc Eruygur

Russia on Saturday said that no mechanisms are yet in place for trade and economic cooperation with the US.

In remarks to the Izvestia newspaper, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there is an understanding that resuming trade and economic cooperation with the US would yield “significant benefits” for both countries.

“At the corporate level, at least, we see a great deal of interest. However, in practical terms, there are currently no cooperation mechanisms in place, nor have any joint projects been implemented,” Peskov said.

Peskov further said that it is unclear whether there will be any such cooperation or joint projects until the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is resolved.

However, he said that there are peacekeeping efforts by the US, for which Russia is “very grateful.” “We sincerely hope that these efforts will bear fruit,” he added.

In later remarks to Russian news outlets, Peskov reaffirmed Russia’s position against the deployment of a European military contingent to Ukraine.

“This is not a red line; it is Russia’s position – one that has been conveyed to the entire world, and to Europeans in particular, in an extremely concrete and clear manner,” he told the Vesti news outlet.

In a separate interview with RT, Peskov accused the West of reducing its relations with Russia to “practically zero,” stating that this is illogical and not in Europe’s own interest.

“On the contrary, it has led to widespread instability and conflict. We have effectively returned to a Cold War-like situation. And instead of discussing issues peacefully, we are now plunging into a highly confrontational environment,” he added.

He also told the state news agency Tass that it has not yet been determined whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the G20 summit in the US later this year.