“Instead of seeking new routes for the reopening of dialogue, a number of American senators are inventing excuses for sabotaging it,” MP Sergey Zheleznyak told RIA Novosti. “After the Russian and US presidents had their summit in Helsinki, the Russophobic lobby in America experienced a shock and now they use all possible means to prevent a thaw in relations with our country.”

“As November mid-terms are approaching there will be more and more demand for the ‘Russian card’ in the internal political game in America and it is obvious that similar initiatives will be proposed repeatedly,” the lawmaker added.

The comment came after a bipartisan group of US senators proposed a new bill introducing more anti-Russian sanctions and efforts to combat cyber-crime earlier this week. The sponsors of the motion said they were motivated to act by the desire to punish Russia for alleged meddling in the last US presidential elections, as well as for its policies regarding Syria and Ukraine.

MP Zheleznyak also told reporters that he and his colleagues knew that many US businessmen, activists and politicians understood that the anti-Russian restrictions were absurd and openly urged the US authorities to restart dialogue and mend relations with Russia.

“Our country is not imposing its friendship or its rules on anyone, but we understand the responsibility before the face of serious international challenges which can only be met together and with full respect to each other’s interests,” he said.

Last week after the media first reported the fresh anti-Russian proposal, Chairman of the Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee MP Leonid Slutsky (LDPR) said it was motivated by internal political strife in Washington. “Obviously these proposals are tied with the internal political strife that has become more intense after the Helsinki summit and they are seeking, in part, to contain President Donald Trump’s activity,” he stated.

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