Russia’s Foreign Ministry “sees no available ground” for talks on reviving the strategic stability and arms control dialogue with the US in the current period, the Russian Interfax news agency reported today, citing statements by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Ryabkov said Moscow and Washington “exchange interpretations of (the situation) in Ukraine” through communication channels at the military as well as political level, according to Interfax.

He also said that Russia is ready to listen to US President-elect Donald Trump’s proposals for resolving the crisis in Ukraine, adding that there could not be a simple solution.

“We show responsibility and attention to any ideas proposed by countries in this area,” Interfax quoted Ryabkov as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday congratulated Trump on his US presidential election victory, commenting on his courage when a gunman tried to assassinate him in July, saying Moscow was ready for dialogue with Trump. According to Putin, Trump’s comments about trying to end the war deserve attention.

Trump told NBC that he has not spoken to Putin since his election victory, but “I think we will.”

Ryabkov said the threat to sour diplomatic relations with the US would remain in place if Russia’s frozen assets were seized or if Washington escalated tensions over Ukraine.

Ryabkov also commented on Russia’s revised nuclear doctrine, saying it makes possible “the possibility of a shift to a nuclear option” if there is an acute crisis in relations with the West and the situation in Ukraine, Interfax reported.

“This process will be completed. The president of the Russian Federation, as the supreme commander of the armed forces, will undoubtedly take decisions, which are indicative of improving the basis of our principles, for our activities in this sphere,” Ryabkov told Interfax.

Putin warned the West in September that under proposed changes to its nuclear doctrine, Russia could use nuclear weapons if attacked with conventional missiles, while treating any attack against it, backed by a nuclear power, as a common attack.