Russia and the US will hold meetings in Egypt’s capital Cairo from Nov. 29 to Dec. 6 to iron out issues related to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

There is a wide-ranging agenda for talks in Cairo and nothing is off the table for Russia, Ryabkov told local news channel RTVI.

However, he said the US could use it to bring up unrelated subjects and try to turn “a talk of professionals” into “an attempt of politicization.”​​​​​​​

In February 2021, the two countries agreed to extend the nuclear arms control pact for five more years.

However, Moscow suspended American inspections of its nuclear weapons sites under the treaty this August.

On the recent meeting between Russian and US intelligence officials in the Turkish capital Ankara, Ryabkov said “contact was initiated by the American side.”

“The issues discussed there are sensitive in nature,” he said, referring to the meeting of CIA Director Bill Burns and Russian Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergey Naryshkin.

Ryabkov said Russia wants to maintain its ties with the US, but the future of their relations depends on Washington.

“Communication and dialogue between countries is necessary. If at some point the Americans think otherwise, then it will lead to a break,” he said in response to a question.

“The level of Russophobia in the US is absolutely unprecedented; in all levels and branches of government, (and) in the mainstream media,” he added.

He said US involvement in the Ukraine conflict is growing deeper by the day, a fact that Russia takes into account in its military plans.

Russia has warned against an escalation “where the US would directly become a party to the conflict,” Ryabkov said.

Commenting on the recent midterm elections held in the US, he said the results will not alter Washington’s stance as both the Republicans and Democrats seek Russia’s “strategic defeat” in Ukraine.

“The anti-Russia project that Washington has been engaged in for many years enjoys bipartisan support … we will not see any change in the American course,” he said.

“We will continue to deal with a system that is deeply hostile to us … (and wants) to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.”

On diplomatic relations, Ryabkov said Moscow expects the arrival of Lynne Tracy, the person nominated by President Joe Biden to be the new US ambassador to Russia.

However, we do not know when the US Congress will hold its hearings to approve her nomination, he added.

‘Attempts to demonize Russia’

On peace talks with Ukraine, Ryabkov accused Kyiv of hindering any possible progress by putting forward preconditions.

He also criticized attempts to blame Moscow for the recent missile explosion in the Polish village Przewodow, saying it was another “excuse to continue escalation.”

He also decried the allegations that Moscow plans to use nuclear weapons, terming them “attempts to demonize Russia.”

Regarding price caps on Russian energy supplies, Ryabkov said there could be attempts to expand such measures to other sectors.

“The most rabid figures, in a Russophobic frenzy, could offer something similar (to price caps) for other products. Of course, we are against it, but we will adapt according to the situation,” he added.