'Pragmatic': Lavrov Reveals What Kind of Relations Russia Wants With US

Russia wants to build pragmatic and respectful relations with the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday in a speech at the Munich Security Conference.

MUNICH (Sputnik) — He underscored that Russia and the United States had never been in a direct conflict and their history saw more friendship than standoffs.

"What kind of relations we want with the US? Pragmatic relations, mutual respect, understanding of our special responsibility for global stability," Lavrov said in Germany.

Relations between Moscow and Washington hit a low point after a foreign-sponsored coup in Kiev led to a civil war in Ukraine and Crimea's reunification with Russia. Other major points of contention included the Syrian conflict and NATO's eastward expansion.

Most recently, the Obama administration blamed Russia for allegedly meddling in the internal affairs of the United States by leaking information ostensibly obtained in high-profile cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2016 US presidential campaign. Moscow has repeatedly denied these claims, pointing out that Washington has failed to provide any evidence.

Donald Trump has repeatedly advocated establishing a political dialogue with Moscow, particularly in regards to the fight against terrorism, and expressed readiness to build positive relations with Russia. Moscow has long been promoting the idea of fruitful cooperation with Washington.

After the leaders' phone talks on January 28, the Kremlin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the presidents had noted the importance of respect in relations.