Deputy Foreign Minister Russia "can discuss normalization of relations with US"

Russia is willing to consider any proposal to bring bilateral relations back to normal with the United States, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

Deputy Secretary Ryabkov said he had no information about whether Ukraine's special envoy Keith Kellogg, nominated by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, would visit Russia, TAS reported.

Ryabkov added that he also did not know whether Kellogg's envoy was willing to create a communication window with Russia.

Earlier, Reuters quoted sources as saying Kellogg was due to visit Ukraine, Italy and France next month but had no plans to visit Russia.

At the same time, Ryabkov said the U.S. side's consent to the appointment of the new ambassador-designate to the U.S., or Agreman, has yet to emerge.

Russia has not made an official announcement, but local media reported last month that Aleksandr Darchiev, the North American director of the Foreign Ministry, was named the new U.S. ambassador.