Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently labeled the United States an “enemy” in a press conference, potentially indicating a shift in Moscow’s stance.

While it’s unclear if this rhetoric reflects an official policy change, Peskov emphasized that only President Vladimir Putin can make such decisions.

Peskov’s comments were partly a response to the US refusal to allow Scott Ritter, a former US Marine, UN weapons inspector, and RT contributor, to travel to St. Petersburg.

Peskov described this as part of a “rabid campaign” to isolate the Russian Federation and suggested that such restrictions are common for former intelligence officers traveling to hostile countries.

“We are now an enemy country for them, just as they are for us,” Peskov stated, highlighting the tensions between the two nations.

However, it remains to be seen if this rhetoric will translate into a formal change in Russia’s stance towards the US.