Washington's words about its readiness for cooperation with Moscow do not meet the actions, and, contrary to the assurances, the policy of the former administration continues, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said.
"Washington's actions are indicative of very disturbing symptoms. The words about the readiness for cooperation do not meet the actions. Contrary to the assurances, the policy of the previous administration has continued," he noted.
According to him "the blow to official representatives and missions of Russia" means actions aimed at confrontation, and "there is no justification for it."
The Ambassador stressed that Russia will not allow itself to be provoked into an emotional breakdown by the actions against Moscow in response to the alleged involvement in the poisoning of former GRU colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Great Britain. "The truth will come out. We will not let ourselves to be provoked into an emotional breakdown," he said.
"The people responsible for those few areas in which mutually beneficial cooperation survives - space, science and culture, trade, prisoners and missing persons - are being sent away," the Ambassador noted. "Restoring relations and searching for common ground have been thrown back," he added.
The expulsion of Russian diplomats from the United States was most likely planned in advance, but was postponed until a suitable occasion, Antonov said.
"The scope of damage and the previous media support indicate that it was probably planned in advance, and was simply postponed - in anticipation of a suitable occasion. The absence of any facts confirming the accusations of Washington and London against us gives rise to suspicions of close coordination and joint planning of the events," TASS cited him as saying.
"Internal problems, which Washington and London are trying to hide behind ‘the Russian threat’, will not go away. Our opponents do not like the strong and powerful Russia with recently demonstrated capabilities," the ambassador said.
According to him, "on the day of the tragedy in Kemerovo" Russia saw "emotional deafness, indifference and callousness" from the official Washington. "They just decided to make it more painful," Antonov said. "At the time when ordinary Americans, together with us in our grief, send us condolences," he said.
