Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that he was “surprised” by the United States’ sanctions against Russia’s oil companies. Speaking at a press conference amid the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in Kyrgyzstan, Putin pointed out that such restrictive measures are “destroying” bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington. The Russian president said that the US sanctions “came out of nowhere” following the platform that both countries established at the Alaska summit, but declared that Russia is ready for dialogue with the US “anytime,” referring to he upcoming visit by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Additionally, Putin also commented on the telephone leaks, saying that they “could be fake,” but underlining that, as such, they constitute a criminal offense.