Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a teleconference at Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, on May 11, 2020. (Sputnik via Xinhua)
"We have a bilateral relationship that has deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years," says Russian President Vladimir Putin.
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview with NBC News on Friday said that Russia-U.S. relations are at their lowest point in years.
"We have a bilateral relationship that has deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years," Putin said in the interview via translation.
Meanwhile, Putin noted he can work with U.S. President Joe Biden, according to NBC News.
Photo taken on March 26, 2018 shows the Russian national flag at Embassy of Russia in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Yang Chenglin)
He denied a Washington Post story saying that Russia is preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite that would enable Tehran to track military targets in the region.
"It's just fake news," Putin said. "At the very least, I don't know anything about this kind of thing. Those who are speaking about it probably know more about it. It's just nonsense, garbage."
Biden is on the first foreign trip of his presidency to Europe, and his highly anticipated meeting with Putin is scheduled on June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland.
U.S. President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress in Washington, D.C., the United States, April 28, 2021. (Melina Mara/Pool via Xinhua)
Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years. The two sides have obvious differences on issues related to Ukraine, cybersecurity, human rights, and U.S. election interference.
In his Wednesday remarks to U.S. troops and their families at Royal Air Force Mildenhall base in Britain, Biden said that the United States wants a stable and predictable relationship with Russia.
"But I've been clear: The United States will respond in a robust and meaningful way if the Russian government engages in harmful activities," he warned. ■
