WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Chernyshenko along with Deputy Chairman of Russia's State Duma Committee on Regional, North, and Far East Policy Georgy Karlov are participating in the Arctic Circle Forum held in the US capital.
"In the framework of the visit, we are meeting with our colleagues Senator Lisa Murkowski, Congressman Don Young, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher," Chernyshenko said on the margins of the forum. "Primarily, we will discuss our joint work in the Arctic, but also we will address sanctions and how they will be further implemented as they complicate our relations a lot."
The Russian senator noted that while many US politicians express the need for Moscow-Washington cooperation, particularly on the Arctic issues, whenever it is time to vote, the vote results prove the opposite.
"We all understand that it is always possible to negotiate, and as politicians we can propose ways of further development. But, in reality, we see that the opportunities of both the US business and politicians are limited by majority of lawmakers choosing a path of complicating our relations," he added.
The Department of the Treasury’s move comes after the US Senate voted in favor of extending sanctions against Russia over its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election on June 15.
Moscow's relations with the West deteriorated rapidly following Crimea’s referendum to reunite with Russia in 2014 and the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis later that year. The United States, the European Union and their allies accused Moscow of violating Ukraine's territorial integrity and interfering with the country’s internal affairs. Russia has consistently denied the allegations, pointing out that the policy of sanctions is counterproductive.
