NEW YORK (Sputnik) — Russia’s relations with the West are not on the level of the Cold War, but are "abnormal," Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vladimir Safronkov told Sputnik.
"We [had] better speak not of [the] Cold War, we [had] better speak on the abnormal relationship between [the] west and Russia," Safronkov said.
The official stressed that he did not share the opinion of some analysts that the relations between Moscow and Washington were at the Cold War level.
Relations between Russia and the West deteriorated following the 2014 crisis and subsequent conflict in Ukraine between the government in Kiev and autonomy seekers in the east of the country. Washington, Brussels and their allies have accused Moscow of meddling in the Ukrainian conflict and introduced several rounds of sanctions.
Russia has denied the allegations and introduced a one-year food embargo in August 2014 on products originating in states that imposed sanctions against it. The ban has since been extended.
