In his Tuesday state of the nation address to the Congress, US President Barack Obama claimed that almost a year after Russia's alleged "aggression" against Ukraine, Washington succeeded at isolating Moscow, leaving its economy severely damaged.
"Only a blind person or someone who is generally prejudiced [against Russia] could speak of some kind of Russia's isolation in Europe, as well as in the whole world," Chizhov said in an interview with Rossiya-24 television.
Moscow's relations with the West took a step back after Crimea's reunification with Russia in March 2014. The following month, Kiev-led forces launched military operations against independence supporters in the southeast of Ukraine. In a dramatic escalation of events, Western countries accused Russia of contributing to the conflict.
The United States, along with its allies, has imposed multiple sanctions targeting Russia's banking, energy and military sectors, as well as several high-profile public officials over Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine's internal affairs. Despite the sanctions, Russia has increased cooperation with the BRICS major emerging economies as well as Latin America.
