Russian Ambassador to Washington Says US-Russia Relations in ‘Ice Age’

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov arrives for a news briefing on the situation in Syria, at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, October 7, 2016. (Reuters)
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov arrives for a news briefing on the situation in Syria, at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, October 7, 2016. (Reuters)
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Russian Ambassador to Washington Says US-Russia Relations in ‘Ice Age’

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov arrives for a news briefing on the situation in Syria, at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, October 7, 2016. (Reuters)
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov arrives for a news briefing on the situation in Syria, at the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia, October 7, 2016. (Reuters)

Russia's ambassador to the United States on Friday compared the state of US-Russia relations to an "ice age", and said that the risk of a clash between the two countries was "high", Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported.

TASS cited Anatoly Antonov as saying that it was hard to say when talks on strategic dialogue between the two sides could resume, but that talks on prisoner swaps had been "effective" and would continue.

US-Russia ties have fallen to their lowest point in decades amid the fallout from Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, and the consequent imposition of Western sanctions.

Two prisoner swaps, in which US Marine veteran Trevor Reed and basketball star Brittney Griner were freed by Russia in return for convicted drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko and arms dealer Viktor Bout, were rare instances of successful US-Russia diplomacy in 2022.



UK Police Arrest Five Men, Including Four Iranians, over Suspected Terror Plot

File photo: Police officers stand on duty at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, April 1, 2018. Picture taken April 1, 2018. (Reuters)
File photo: Police officers stand on duty at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, April 1, 2018. Picture taken April 1, 2018. (Reuters)
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UK Police Arrest Five Men, Including Four Iranians, over Suspected Terror Plot

File photo: Police officers stand on duty at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, April 1, 2018. Picture taken April 1, 2018. (Reuters)
File photo: Police officers stand on duty at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, April 1, 2018. Picture taken April 1, 2018. (Reuters)

Britain's counter-terrorism police arrested five men, including four Iranian nationals, on suspicion of terrorism offences over a plot to target specific premises, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement on Sunday.
The arrests occurred on Saturday in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale and Manchester, Reuters reported.
The police did not disclose details of the plot, citing operational reasons.
The Embassy of Iran in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"The investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of enquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter," said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.