US Hopes Relations With Russia Have Already Reached Low Point

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert expresses hope that bilateral relations with Russia have already reached a low and will start to improve.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States hopes its relations with Russia have already reached their lowest point and will improve going forward, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters in a press briefing on Tuesday.

"We want our relationship to have already reached its low point. Both of our nations are going forward with the goal to try to improve our relationship and look for areas of mutual cooperation," Nauert said when asked about recent comments by Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov.

On Friday, Antonov said Moscow hoped to see an improvement in US-Russian relations.

Nauert also said the issue of Ukraine remained a "sore spot" between Russia and the United States.

"I know we have to resolve that crisis," Nauert said, "That has been a sore spot between the US and Russia. We believe in Ukrainian territorial integrity. That certainly has not changed."

Nauert's comments came after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov met US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon in Helsinki on Tuesday.

The State Department spokesperson said the discussions provided both sides an opportunity to discuss concerns related to strategic stability.