GENEVA, Feb. 9 (TASS) - Russia is not evading dialogue with the United States on international security and strategic stability but Washington’s anti-Russian course hampers these discussions, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Geneva office Gennady Gatilov said on Wednesday.

"We don’t refuse from the dialogue with the US side on issues of international security and strategic stability," he said at a meeting with Russian journalists ahead of Diplomatic Worker’s Day marked on February 10.

He recalled that "back in June 2021, when Geneva hosted a meeting of the Russian and US presidents, a substantive dialogue on how to establish cooperation on issues of strategic stability, risk reduction and future arms control was held."

But "later the situation developed in a different direction and the Americans have refused from any contacts with us," Gatilov went on, adding that cooperation that the tendencies that emerged in 2021 and in subsequent communication "were devaluated by the US destructive course geared toward undermining Russia’s security." "The dialogue was interrupted by them," he stated.

Moscow insists that since the dialogue was frozen not at Russia’s initiative, it "cannot be resumed only at Russia’s will," the Russian diplomat explained. "Here, it is necessary to take into account the United States’ position, its readiness to take into account our legal security interests. So far, they are speaking only about issues of their interest and ignore our concerns."

"The resumption of contacts in the sphere of security looks quite problematic, since the United States is pursuing an anti-Russian course, setting conditions for possible dialogue. That is why, any mutually respectful and equal dialogue is out of the question now," he said and expressed the hope that "the situation will change in the future." However, for these ends, the United States "must finally realize its responsibility for international peace and security not only in its interpretation but also in the in the interpretation of the overwhelming majority of UN member states," he said, adding that a constructive dialogue is possible only if the US drops its anti-Russian policy.