Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson said Friday that relations between the United States and Russia were “maybe even worse” than they were during the Cold War.
In an interview with “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos Friday, Dmitry Peskov referenced Russian anger at a wave of sanctions implemented by the Obama administration in its final weeks, a response to the what the U.S. intelligence community had determined was Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The Obama administration also closed two Russian compounds in the United States and expelled dozens of Russian officials from the country.
“This is something that was never seen in diplomatic affairs in the world for lots and lots of decades,” Peskov said.
“Is it friendly? I’m afraid not. It’s not friendly,” he added. “It’s not legal, in terms of international law. So of course it was a very significant damage for our bilateral relations, organized as a farewell party by the then-administration in Washington.”
“If we’re at the lowest point in history, that means we’re in a new Cold War,” Stephanopoulos responded.
“New Cold War? Well, maybe even worse,” Peskov replied. “Maybe even worse, taking into account actions of the present presidential administration.”
Earlier in the interview, Peskov described accusations that Russia meddled in the 2016 election as “nothing but slander.”
“And all those fake news – having nothing beneath and having no evidence – were nothing else but slander,” he said. “That’s why we’ll continue to suggest to everyone insisting that Russia was interfering in this or that way into domestic affairs of the United States, we will suggest to them to read Mr. Putin’s lips.”
He was referring to remarks Putin made Thursday during a moderated panel. Asked if Russia had meddled in the United States’ election, the Russian president, through a translator, borrowed a promise from former President George H.W. Bush’s 1988 campaign: “Watch my lips: No.”
Watch below via ABC News:
FULL EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: @GStephanopoulos one-on-one with Russian Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov: https://t.co/DrPglfqnIR pic.twitter.com/vh7Gtl1hlH
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 31, 2017
