Russia bewildered by speculations on contacts with Trump's team

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has expressed his confusion over media speculation about Russia's so-called contacts with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's entourage.

Ryabkov noted on Thursday that Moscow has contacted Trump's presidential campaign team members and will continue such "routine practice" after the election.

In an interview with Interfax news agency, Ryabkov said the contacts were "seemingly obvious things" made under "natural circumstances."

He also accused the Western media of trying to look for ulterior motives for Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulating Trump on winning the U.S. presidential election.

The message of congratulations was sent according to "centuries-old diplomatic protocol and etiquette," Ryabkov said.

Later, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added that during the U.S. election process, unofficial statements were made on Russia's readiness for an improvement in interaction and relations with the U.S. side.

Also on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and the U.S. president-elect Trump have common ground in national and foreign policy principles.

Trump put the interests of the U.S. and American people as the top priority and is ready to cooperate with any country in the world, what Peskov recalled as "astoundingly" similar with Putin's concept.

"This is phenomenal, how they appeared to be close in their conceptual approach to foreign policy," Peskov said.

Russia and the United States have long been at odds over the Ukraine crisis, Syria, as well as other regional and international issues.

While on the campaign trail, Trump made positive comments about Putin. Western media responded with wide-spread speculation about Trump's connections, even financial ones, with Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any intervention in the U.S. election. Endi