The Kremlin said today that it is “very well aware” that NATO and the United States are providing intelligence to Ukraine, but that is no reason to cut diplomatic ties with them after the attack on the bridge linking Russia to Crimea .

“In the most intense moments, we need channels for dialogue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Peskov was responding to a question about a comment by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova who, without providing evidence, accused Ukraine of carrying out an overnight attack on the bridge involving Britain and the United States.

“We know very well that the coordination is between the Kiev regime, Washington and a number of European capitals and NATO,” Peskov said.

“We know very well how much information comes from NATO and Washington to Kiev on a permanent basis. Therefore, we have no illusions here.”

But a reporter’s question about the possibility of severing diplomatic relations with the West “is not correct” because of the need to keep the channels of dialogue open, he said.