The Russian Ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, said that Washington has been trying to limit all international security issues to Ukraine, which is wrong. Antonov spoke on a YouTube channel, Soloviov Live, on Saturday. 

"You know, the US is trying to narrow down all the present-day problems to Ukraine. I believe it is absolutely wrong, it is an attempt to blur the true state of affairs," he said.

"In fact, in the documents that we handed over to Americans and NATO, we did not just set a distinct signal about Ukraine or even about European security, we brought up a clear question about the prospects of international security. What world should we live in? Should we follow the teachings and decisions of the founding fathers of the post-war system of international relations, based on the UN and its Security Council? Should we abide by international treaties, agreements, international law or should we obey to dictates, force, some rules that are worked out without our participation?" Antonov said. 

He further explained that Russia does not believe that the US seeks to destroy its relations with Russia, but rather Washington's possible responses to Russia are "being calculated".

"Frankly speaking, I do not believe that Americans are willing to ruin all the relations," the diplomat said. "They believe, as I see it, that we will not go to the end." He continued, "That is why they use minor points of strategic regional dialogue to show, ‘it’s not us, it’s the Russians,’ who are ruing Russian-US relations now. And we prove by examples, explain at an elementary level that it is like that."

According to the Ambassador, Washington is trying to 'stay afloat', as it is still looking into the odds. 

On February 3, a discussion on "irritants" took place between US and Russian officials. However, all Moscow claims were rejected, according to Antonov. 

"Regrettably, we received a negative response at those consultations," he said.

Antonov said that the Russian envoys came to the consultations with a positive program aimed at one thing: to nullify and remove all restrictions imposed on the activities of diplomats in the United States and Russia, to enable diplomats to work calmly, to stop the visa war, and to resume the normal work of diplomatic missions of the two countries.

He added that Russia does not seek to attack anyone and is interested in good-neighborly relations with the people of Ukraine, slamming the US policy of pumping weapons into Ukraine as wrong and very dangerous.