"There are also areas where the United States and Russia can work together in a stable and predictable way in common interest of both of our countries," Sullivan told MSNBC.
He added that the United States is anticipating difficult times ahead in its relations with Russia because of the disagreements between the two countries, however, Washington wants to work with Moscow on major issues.
"We believe that we are going to have tough days with Russia because there are issues on which we profoundly disagree and actions we need to respond to forcefully...We also believe that we can work with Russia on key issues including the nuclear question where just in the last few weeks, we have extended the New START agreement by five years. This will not be an easy relationship. It will have significant challenges. It will require America to stand up for its interests," Sullivan told MSNBC.
In a Tuesday interview, US President Biden told ABC News that Russian President Vladimir Putin would "pay a price" for allegedly interfering in the 2020 US presidential election. When asked if he considered the Russian president to be a "killer," Biden replied in the affirmative.
The following day recalled its ambassador home for consultations on the future of the US-Russia bilateral relationship. In addition, Putin responded to Biden's comments by wishing the US president good health and suggesting that people often see their own traits in others. Putin also invited Biden to hold an open online discussion on Friday or Monday.
Earlier on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the United States did not accept Putin’s offer to hold an online conversation with Biden, adding that another opportunity to find a way out of the deadlock in bilateral relations was missed and the United States is to blame for it.
