Russia-U.S. relations long way from breakthrough: Kremlin

MOSCOW, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Kremlin said Thursday that it is too early to expect a thaw in Russia-U.S. relations, although both countries have confirmed their willingness to sit down and discuss problems.

"Let's not talk about any breakthrough. We need to establish dialogue first. There is a long way before making a breakthrough," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a daily news briefing.

The remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump agreed in a call on Tuesday to make preparations for a possible meeting between them "as soon as possible."

"Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump tweeted Wednesday.

Peskov said the date and place for the possible presidential meeting have not been decided yet.

Putin was re-elected president on March 18 with more than 76 percent of the votes, the highest rate throughout his campaigns.

Shortly ahead of the election, the U.S. Treasury Department said it would sanction five Russian entities and 19 individuals, accusing them of having meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and engaged in "malicious" cyber attacks.

Moscow has repeatedly denied these allegations and blamed Washington for interfering in the Russian elections. Enditem