Moscow: The Kremlin on Friday rejected US President Joe Biden’s terms for Ukraine talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“What did President Biden say in fact? He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding Moscow was “certainly” not ready to accept the conditions, reported France24. In the strongest suggestion so far that he would be prepared to sit down with Putin, Biden said late Thursday he would be willing to speak to the Russian leader for the first time since the Ukraine invasion if he truly wants to end the war.
During a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, Biden said Thursday he would be willing to speak to Putin if the Russian leader truly wants to end the fighting.
“There’s one way for this war to end — the rational way. Putin to pull out of Ukraine, number one. But it appears he’s not,” Biden said.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday that the Kremlin is not ready to give up the captured Ukrainian territories but remains open for talks “to achieve our goals,” reported The Moscow Times.
“The United States still doesn’t recognize the new territories as part of the Russian Federation,” Peskov said.
“This of course significantly complicates the search for some kind of mutual grounds for possible discussions,” he said.
Biden said he would be “happy to sit down with Putin to see what he has in mind” after consulting with his NATO allies.
“I’m prepared to speak with Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he’s looking for a way to end the war,” he said at a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. “He hasn’t done that yet.”
Macron has said he will speak again to Putin after his trip to Washington and has warned against cutting off the Russian leader, reported The Moscow Times.
Biden and Macron both vowed long-term support to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
