Moscow has Canceled Strategic Talks with Washington

Russia has canceled the strategic talks scheduled for this month with the US after the US delegation withdrew at the last minute of a cyber security meeting, Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said, cited by France Press. 

The agency refers to Antonov's statement to TASS. The ambassador says the US delegation's withdrawal from these talks, due to take place in Geneva late last month, is a hostile decision which, in his view, leaves the impression that the bilateral relationship has been planned in advance and further deteriorated. As a consequence, Russia believes that it can not participate in the meeting in Vienna scheduled for March 6 and 7 to discuss the difficulties faced by Russian-American relations and other strategic issues. The decision was taken a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech to the parliament, in which he praised the new invincible Russian weapons and urged the West to listen to Russia, notes the press.

Following this categorical speech two weeks before Russia's presidential elections scheduled for March 18, which are expected to be won by Putin, Washington again accused Moscow of failing to meet its international obligations.