At 23:30 Moscow time on December 30, Russian President Putin and US President Biden began telephone talks. The call lasted 50 minutes, and this is the second dialogue between the Russian dollar heads of state after the video meeting held on the 7th of this month.
According to reports, Russian presidential press secretary Peskov said earlier in the day that the call was proposed by Putin to continue to explore the key issues discussed by the Russian us dollar in the previous video meeting, mainly involving Russia and the United States, NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe will start on January 10.
On December 30, Biden and Putin held a 50-minute telephone conversation
Foreign media said the call was the latest effort by Russia and the United States to try to ease tensions in eastern Ukraine. The two heads of state warned separately about Ukraine, but also expressed some optimism. Foreign media said that the "serious" talks between the two did not achieve any major breakthroughs, but set a good tone for the upcoming face-to-face diplomatic talks between the two sides.
Focus again on the Ukraine crisis
Putin is "satisfied" with the talks
Biden reportedly chose to speak with Putin from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, this time. During the 50-minute call, Biden said he wanted to see Russia reduce its military buildup near Ukraine. White House press secretary Jane Psaki said: "Biden reiterates that these conversations can only make substantial progress in an environment where the crisis is downgraded rather than escalated. At the same time, Biden also made it clear that the United States and its allies would respond decisively to any invasion by Ukraine.
Putin said that the Russian army is only conducting exercises on the border, stressing that NATO activities threaten Russia's border security, and russia has the right to mobilize troops within the territory to defend the territory, and has no plans to invade Ukraine. Putin also made it clear that the proposed new sanctions by the United States and its allies could lead to a complete breakdown in relations between the two countries, saying that sanctions would be a "huge mistake."
According to reports, the Russian side also said that it needs written assurances from the West that Ukraine will not join NATO, as well as not to deploy military and offensive weapons in Ukraine or any neighboring country. The White House did not respond clearly to the demand, but said it was willing to listen to Russia's concerns about NATO.
In early December, a Ukrainian soldier walked in a trench. The build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border has heightened U.S. fears of a possible Russian invasion
According to another U.S. official, both heads acknowledged that the two sides may have made meaningful progress in some areas, but could not reach an agreement in some areas. The upcoming diplomatic talks will more precisely demarcate the issues on which the two countries will be able to make progress.
Despite warnings from both sides during the call, Russian foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told the media that Putin was "satisfied" with the phone talks. Ushakov added that the call created a "good backdrop" for the upcoming face-to-face diplomatic talks. Senior U.S. officials also said it was "a serious, substantive dialogue."
On December 7, Biden and Putin held a video meeting
Intensive diplomatic talks in January
What are Russia and the United States expecting?
At a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, the United States and Russia will hold bilateral security talks in Geneva on January 10, 2022, according to foreign media reports. According to reports, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will definitely preside over the security talks and hold consultations and discussions on the Ukrainian crisis and the deployment of armaments. Subsequently, on January 12, Russia will hold talks with NATO in Brussels. On January 13, Russia will also participate in a broader conference in Vienna, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which includes the United States and other European countries.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova reportedly said on December 30: "During the talks, we will seek firm legal assurances from the US side for Russia's security, that NATO will not move eastward and will not deploy weapons systems that threaten Russia near our borders." "Allegedly, the Russian side has publicly provided a list of security issues and requirements that it hopes to address.
Foreign media said that the United States has also prepared its own list of concerns, but it does not plan to release it publicly for the time being. White House officials said keeping the talks confidential for the time being would make the talks more productive. When Biden and Putin began their dialogue earlier this month, the United States saw no sign that Russia was easing its position on the Ukrainian border, while the United States, which in recent weeks has strengthened coordination of Ukraine's security efforts and has persuaded its allies to prepare a series of tough sanctions in response to a possible Russian invasion.
It is unclear whether there is a solution that will both meet the requirements of both sides and avoid an escalation of the crisis. A White House official said, "We're not going to draw any conclusions, but in any case, the focus now is actually on action and (for the better) signs." ”
Red Star News reporter Fan Xu intern reporter Ding Wen
Edited by Pan Li
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