Russia: Ready to Move Fast to Fix Ties With Washington

MOSCOW (Reuters) —
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov looks on at the start of two days of closed-door nuclear talks at the United Nations offices in Geneva October 15, 2013. REUTERS/Fabrice Coffrini/Pool
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. (Reuters/Fabrice Coffrini/Pool)

Russia is ready to work fast to repair relations with Washington now that Donald Trump has been elected U.S. president, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying on Monday by RIA news agency.

But he said Russian authorities knew little of Trump’s policy plans, and recognized there was a difference between his election campaign pledges and the policies he would implement once in office.

Ryabkov said Russia’s support for the Iran nuclear deal was unchanged, despite Trump’s campaign statements that if elected his priority would be to dismantle the pact, Interfax news reported.

Meanwhile, a senior Russian senator said on Monday that Russia and Iran are in talks over an arms deal worth around $10 billion that would see Moscow deliver T-90 tanks, artillery systems, planes and helicopters to Tehran, RIA reported.

Viktor Ozerov, head of the defense and security committee in the Russian upper house of parliament, or Federation Council, told reporters that talks on the potential deal were under way during a parliamentary visit to Iran.

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