[Washington Examiner] Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called his lieutenant in the United States back from Washington to discuss a potential "irreversible deterioration in relations," according to a senior Russian diplomat.
"We are interested in preventing an irreversible deterioration in relations, if the Americans become aware of the risks associated with this," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.
U.S. intelligence agencies this week accused Russian intelligence operatives of disseminating claims "aimed at denigrating President Biden’s candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting former President Trump," including through media outlets and "prominent U.S. individuals" aligned with Trump’s team. That conclusion, which dovetails with sanctions issued by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the 2020 campaign, set the table for the most pronounced display of discord between the U.S. and Russia of Biden’s nascent administration.
"He will pay a price," Biden said of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a televised interview that aired Wednesday. "We had a long talk, he and I. I know him relatively well, and the conversation started off, I said, 'I know you, and you know me. If I establish this occurred, then be prepared.’" |