Russia’s deputy FM scraps meeting with senior US diplomat
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabakov announced Wednesday he had called off a meeting with a senior US State Department official this week, saying the current situation between the two countries is "not conducive" for the dialogue. The cancellation was the latest sign of rising tensions between the two countries in recent months over Syria, Russian intervention in Ukraine and Moscow's alleged meddling in the US presidential election. Ryabakov had been scheduled to meet Friday with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon in Saint Petersburg.