Russian envoy: US officials should ‘do yoga’ to overcome focus on punishing Russia over Crimea

MOSCOW – A senior Russian diplomat says U.S. officials should do yoga and watch TV comedy series to ease what he calls their irrational fixation on punishing Russia over Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov’s comments to the Interfax news agency Thursday reflected simmering tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The U.S. and the EU have slapped members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s entourage with travel bans and asset freezes.

Ryabkov warned that Moscow may take retaliatory steps, but he didn’t elaborate.

Ryabkov said the U.S. got “fixated” on halting co-operation with Russia. He said his “advice to the U.S. partners is to spend more time outdoors, do yoga … and watch TV comedy series” instead of “childish whims, tears and hysterics that won’t help.”