moscow russia parliament applaud learn donald trump u.s. election prospect good relations washington suffer setbacks since resignation trump national security adviser big blow yet kremlin still believe rapprochement feasible even might take long initially think clock tick vladimir putin expect run another presidential term next year ease western sanction could speed russia recovery recession safeguard national popularity russia plan keep work trump administration towards rapprochement look improve atmosphere relations sink post-cold war nadir trump predecessor barack obama result moscow 2014 annexation crimea could hardly get bad first meet russian foreign minister sergei lavrov u.s. secretary state rex tillerson expect germany late week give kremlin chance grasp washington think may lead resignation national security adviser michael flynn see moscow lead advocate warm tie russia underscore kremlin difficulties reach settlement washington drive home urgent need find new areas common interest flynn share dinner putin 2015 favour washington unite russia islamic state militants quit monday revelations improperly discuss issue u.s. sanction russia russian ambassador washington trump take office u.s. official say flynn indicate envoy sanction would necessarily carry administration seek improve relations u.s. russia flynn unlike many high-ranking americans least open dialogue say konstantin kosachev head upper house parliament foreign affairs committee either trump gain requisite independence gradually unsuccessfully back corner russophobia already infect new administration russian politicians suggest flynn force resign harm relations moscow kremlin anxious fee fear russian media manipulation influence u.s. politics say internal u.s. matter trump come power talk want cooperative u.s.-russian relations example take joint action islamic state militants far scant improvement trump speak phone putin jan. 28 reuters learn call go smoothly trump use denounce treaty cap u.s. russian deployment nuclear warheads bad deal unite state kremlin also struggle set meet dmitry peskov putin spokesman say tuesday could say russian leader would meet trump premature even talk direction u.s.-russian relations might take series u.s. senate confirmation hear trump cabinet nominees go kremlin way either incoming defense secretary secretary state raise concern dangers russia unpredictable military player russian officials frustrate trump yet fill key senior staff position state department leave russian diplomats feel nobody work cooperation need someone promote end maria zakharova spokeswoman russian foreign ministry testily tell news brief last week moscow seem take aback strength congressional opposition trump oversee rapprochement russia factor would make hard ease sanction even want reverse kremlin senior u.s. senators introduce legislation would give congress right review move relax sanction russia sergei kislyak russia ambassador unite state tell state television last week moscow aware difficult domestic u.s. scene become russia lack political consensus inside u.s. create problems bilateral relations kislyak ask rhetorically objective reality mute expectations moscow trump might move fast reverse obama expulsion december 35 suspect russian spy allegations russian-backed cyber attack u.s. election campaign group help trump win obama shut two russian compound time say use russian personnel intelligence-related purpose back trump praise putin refrain retaliation call smart trump give indication since roll back measure one big setbacks moscow follow flare-up fight eastern ukraine government force face pro-russian separatist force escalation january side blame trump administration give impression open look review sanction russia afterwards nikki haley new u.s. ambassador unite nations blame russia fight say ukraine-related sanction would lift moscow return crimea ukraine something russia say never flynn resignation may hurt though flynn main lobbyist big deal putin project say russian opposition activist ilya yashin nobody trump entourage persistently lobby cancel sanction flynn today black day kremlin diplomacy putin personally russian hop thaw trump dent top security adviser quit