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MOSCOW -- Russia’s deputy foreign minister accused the U.S. of having "childish tantrums” in response to the annexation of Crimea and joked Thursday that Americans should “practice yoga” and watch sitcoms in order to help them chill out.

Sergey Ryabkov said the decision to end all military cooperation with Russia and remove it from the G-8 group of nations showed that Washington was opposed “to the free will of the population of Crimea.”

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov looks on at the start of the two days of closed-door nuclear talks on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013 at the United Nations offices in Geneva, Switzerland. Fabrice Coffrini / Pool via AP, file

In an interview with state news agency Interfax, Ryabkov said the U.S. was struggling to “come to terms” with Russia’s move to bring Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula under its control.

In the latest break in relations, NASA on Wednesday said it was severing ties with Russia except for the International Space Station.

Ryabkov said: “What can we suggest to our American colleagues? To spend more time outdoors, practice yoga, separate their food groups and perhaps watch comedies on television.”

That would be better than getting worked up, he said, because the situation will not change and "childish tantrums, tears and hysterics will not help matters."