Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a summit in Antalya, Turkey, that the time had come for a discussion with the United States about how Washington sees future economic relations with Russia, but he stressed that differences persist between the two countries, Reuters notes.
Lavrov also said that NATO was “not in the best shape” but that Russia would not interfere in the alliance's internal affairs.
Russia has made resuming economic cooperation with the United States a central element of its push for a diplomatic detente in relations with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
This week, the Trump Administration extended the suspension of sanctions targeting Russian oil shipped by sea, a measure taken last month to cushion the impact of rising oil prices.
The waiver granted by the Treasury Department allows countries to purchase Russian oil and petroleum products loaded on ships starting Friday and running through May 16. The measure excludes transactions involving Iran, Cuba and North Korea.
The move is part of the administration's efforts to control global energy prices, which have skyrocketed during the US-Israeli war with Iran. This came after Asian countries, hit by the global energy shock, pressed Washington to allow alternative sources of supply to reach the markets.
