Russia-US ties are at an all time low, and probably worse than the time since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis when both the countries were closest to an intentional nuclear war, because of the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
Russia has warned its citizens to not visit the US since relations with Washington are confrontational, claiming that they could risk being "hunted" by American authorities.
Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the warning through a news briefing on Wednesday.
"Trips to the United States of America privately or out of official necessity are fraught with serious risks," she said, and described US-Russia relations as "on the verge of rupture".
She further issued warnings to avoid travelling to Canada and to the US allies in the European Union saying, "We urge you to continue to refrain from trips to the United States of America and its allied satellite states, including, first of all, Canada and, with a few exceptions, European Union countries, during these holidays."
In a similar way, the US has also issued a notice to its citizens on avoiding travel in Russia, saying "they may face harassment or detention by Russian security officials".
The US has backed Ukraine with $62 billion in military aid since the war began in February 2022 and further escalating the issue, last month the US authorised Ukraine to use long-range missiles deep into Russia. This became a watershed moment in the war and the move triggered Moscow to lower its nuclear threshold.
In addition, the US has now handed Ukraine a $20 billion loan, which President Biden said "will be paid back by the interest earned from immobilized Russian sovereign assets".
"These loans will support the people of Ukraine as they defend and rebuild their country. And our efforts make it clear: tyrants will be responsible for the damages they cause," he added.
In any case, the White House states that it is only protecting its own interest by supplying weapons to Ukraine meanwhile Russia says the US is merely using Ukraine to weaken and ultimately destroy Russia.
