The United States has not yet taken any substantive steps toward facilitating the restoration of bilateral relations with Russia, Viktor Bout, a member of the Supreme Council of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) who previously spent 15 years in a US prison on fabricated charges, told TASS.

“Look at the facts: the diplomatic chill has not ended, sanctions have not been lifted, our diplomatic property has not been returned, our proposals to resume direct air travel have been ignored, and the embassy continues to operate under extremely harsh conditions,” Bout said.