Russia does not expect better US ties after Bolton's sacking

MOSCOW: Russia said Wednesday it did not expect any improvement in relations with Washington after the dismissal of Donald Trump's national security advisor John Bolton.

"We don't think that the presence or dismissal of any single official, even such a senior one, can seriously influence adjustments to American foreign policy," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said earlier in comments to the RIA Novosti state news agency: "We have observed several times in the past that changes in the US administration bring no improvement. That's why we have no expectations due to the shakeup.

"We judge on acts, not declarations or intentions. When we see progress, then we can say that something has changed," he added.

Trump on Tuesday announced the firing of Bolton, a foreign policy hawk with whom he had disagreed on a number of issues including Iran and North Korea.

Relations between Moscow and Washington, at their lowest level since the end of the Cold War, have been battered by differences over Ukraine and accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential elections.