White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Friday that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election is preventing the U.S. and Russia from having a productive bilateral relationship.

“The Russian Witch Hunt Hoax, which is hopefully now nearing an end, is doing very well. Unfortunately, it probably does undermine our relationship with Russia. However, the reason for our canceled meeting is Ukraine. Hopefully, that will be resolved soon so that productive conversations can begin,” Sanders said in a statement Friday.