Russia responded today, Friday, to a proposal by US President Joe Biden to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about the crisis in Ukraine.
The Kremlin rejected the conditions mentioned by Biden, who said he was ready to talk to Putin if he really wanted to put an end to the crisis.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian presidency, said, “Biden practically said that negotiations will not be possible until after Russia leaves Ukraine,” which “Moscow clearly rejects.” Peskov added that “the military operation continues.”
Thursday, Biden said in a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, “I am ready to talk to Putin if he is looking for a way to end” the crisis.
“If that’s the case, then in consultation with our French and NATO friends, I’d be happy to sit down with Putin and see what he thinks. He hasn’t done that yet,” Biden added.
The Kremlin spokesman said that while he rejects Biden’s terms, Putin “remains open to contacts and negotiation, which is very important.”
Peskov added that the United States does not recognize the annexation of four Ukrainian regions to Russia in September, which “greatly complicates the search for (common) grounds for possible talks.”
#Russia #responds #Bidens #proposal #hold #talks #Putin