Russia and U.S. to sit down at negotiating table

U.S. administration officials are ready to hold talks on bilateral relations with Russia next week, Moscow’s Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said.

“We agreed on contacts next week to discuss the problems of bilateral relations, what to next, whether there is any chance  for Russian-U.S. relations not to be completely destroyed," Anatoly Antonov said.

At the same time he stressed that Russia will not run after the United States if Washington is unwilling to cooperate in the field of security following a terrorist attack on a music venue outside Moscow.

"I will put it simply: this is the U.S. choice. If the Americans don’t want to cooperate with us, we won’t run after them, as I have said," Anatoly Antonov said.

However, he highlighted the need to resolve the problem of terrorism through joint efforts.

"In the current situation, we will work with our friendly countries - it’s more than half the world - including our friends from the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS," Anatoly Antonov said.

According to the envoy, Russia has repeatedly said that Washington "cannot do it alone."