Russian Ambassador and U.S. Treasury Secretary Meet To Assess Future Russia-U.S. Relations

March 10, 2020 (EIRNS)—Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met on March 9: “The discussion focussed on the current state and prospects for further development of the Russian-U.S. ties, the implementation of the agreements reached by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at their summit in Helsinki in 2018 and a meeting in Osaka in 2019,” according to the Russian embassy statement, quoted by TASS. “The Russian side reiterated its commitment to joint efforts towards stabilization of bilateral relations and expressed interest in maintaining regular direct dialogue between the embassy and the U.S. administration.”

The U.S. Treasury Department statement said: “They discussed compliance with sanctions programs, Venezuelan economic conditions, and the potential for trade and investment. Secretary Mnuchin emphasized the importance of orderly energy markets.”

Also on Monday, President Donald Trump spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Given the low oil prices, the U.S. is considering delaying a planned sale of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.