A new contact between Russian and US presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden is not yet in the plans, the presidents talk when they consider it appropriate, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"No, not yet," the spokesman said when asked if a new contact between the presidents was in the plans. "It's always good when the presidents talk to each other, it's always a good impetus for bilateral relations. But they speak when they think it is appropriate," Peskov added.
He said there is also no understanding yet about a new round of Russian-US talks on security guarantees, including between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "No [next round of talks] is expected yet, there is no understanding on that," the Kremlin spokesman said.
Putin and Biden last spoke by phone in late 2021. Before that, on December 7, they had talks via videoconference. The first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Biden as state leaders took place in Geneva in June 2021.
On December 17, the Russian MFA published Russian draft agreements on security guarantees. These include a refusal to expand the North Atlantic Alliance eastward, including a refusal to accept Ukraine as a member, and restrictions on the deployment of serious offensive weapons, particularly nuclear weapons. Last week, Washington and Brussels provided Russia with written responses to these proposals.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS