Russia says relations with US to remain 'bad' regardless of US midterm election results

Relations between Russia and the United States are set to remain sour for the time being as Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged on Wednesday not to exaggerate the importance of US midterm elections. "I cannot say that we stopped doing everything and watched (the midterm elections). We have a lot of things to do that are important to us, Sputnik quoted Peskov saying. He further stated that Moscow carefully analyzes the incoming information. 

He, however, did mention during the press briefing, “I probably will not be mistaken if I say that it is not necessary to seriously exaggerate the importance of these elections in the short and medium term for the future of our bilateral relations. These elections cannot essentially change anything. Our existing ties are bad and they will remain bad.”

Russia accused of meddling with US midterm elections

A kremlin-linked oligarch known as "a chef to Vladimir Putin," Yevgeny Prigozhin revealed Russia’s interference in the US democratic elections through a post on Telegram. Taking to Twitter, Prigozhin revealed that Moscow has interfered, is interfering, and will continue to interfere in the US election process. The statement puts Russia under scanner regarding whether the Kremlin is influencing the US Congressional Elections. Meanwhile, it is not clear how honest or serious Prifozhin was while making the remarks.

Deteriorating US-Russia ties

United States President Joe Biden has been a key ally to Ukraine amid its war against Russia and provided weapons and financial backing. This led to a significant deterioration in the bilateral between Russia and the US.

A recent report by a US-based think tank, the Pew Research Centre labelled Russia’s power and influence as a major threat (64%) to the United States. The US military has been actively involved in providing support to Ukraine in the raging conflict. This includes a steady supply of arms and ammunition to the Ukrainian military, logistical support, information, and financial aid for military procurements. Moreover, a small presence of the US military in Ukraine conducts onsite weapon inspections to ensure that Ukraine’s armed forces are properly accounting for the weapons they received from the West.

Furthermore, Russia has accused the United States of benefitting ‘handsomely’ from the Russia-targeted Sanctions Policy of the West. The accusations came after the explosions in Nord Stream pipelines, following which Russia claimed that Washington ‘aims to make Europe dependent on the US' for natural gas.