Ryabkov said Russia is ready to consider settlements in dollars for oil

Russia may consider settlements in dollars for oil if the United States is interested in it, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on February 24.

"Settlements in dollars, for example, for oil, is a topic that can probably be further considered if the U.S. side shows some kind of interest in it. <...> In principle, the oil market is traditionally dollar-based. Therefore, if something can be carried out here in dollars, we probably won't be against it," he said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

This is how he answered the question of whether the resumption of economic cooperation between the United States and Russia should imply the lifting of part of the sanctions by Washington.

Ryabkov also said that Russia has largely adapted to the sanctions. At the same time, he said, it would be wrong to say that under the sanctions Moscow has no opportunities to make progress in cooperation with Washington.

Resolving issues: talks between Russian and US delegations begin in Riyadh

The sides may discuss a meeting between the leaders of the countries Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump

On the eve, February 23, Ryabkov, said that new negotiations between Russia and the United States will be held at the end of next week. He specified that the meeting will be held at the level of heads of departments of foreign policy agencies.

Thefirst stage of talks between the delegations of Russia and the United States took place on February 18 in one of the palaces of the royal family in Riyadh. After the meeting, the US State Department said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had agreed to appoint high-level negotiating teams to begin work on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin explained that at the meeting in Riyadh, in addition to Ukraine, the sides discussed many issues, including the economy, energy, space and the Middle East.