(Photo: AFP/VNA)

St. Petersburg governor Georgy Poltavchenko told the US congressmen that he hopes for a warming of ties and that Russia always looks into the future with optimism and is ready for cooperation in all fields. Richard Shelby, a Republican senator from Alabama and Head of the US delegation, called for an open dialogue. There was no information about a possible meeting between the congressmen and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Monday, the Kremlin said President Putin and US President Donald Trump may discuss any issue apart from Crimea, the peninsula Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow and Washington are increasing mutual understanding despite their differences.