Putin, Biden Have Unfinished Business – Kremlin

By Staff, RT

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart Joe Biden could soon hold a second round of talks, the Kremlin stated after the two leaders held negotiations over key topics, including Ukraine and NATO.

Speaking as part of a conversation with Channel 5 on Wednesday, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “they have agreed that if the representatives manage to communicate productively, then it will be necessary to talk again.” However, this is most likely to be a remote interaction, he said.

Peskov’s comments come after the pair hosted a two-hour call via a secure video link on Tuesday, which was said to be a “frank and businesslike” discussion. 

According to a readout of the call from the Kremlin, Moscow said that it is “seriously interested” in obtaining “reliable and firm legal guarantees” ruling out NATO’s expansion further eastwards and the deployment of “offensive strike weapons systems in countries adjacent to Russia.”

Putin’s proposal came in response to Biden’s “concerns” about Russian troops allegedly threatening Ukraine. However, the Russian leader insisted that it was the US-led military bloc “making dangerous attempts to conquer Ukrainian territory” and “building up its military potential at our borders.”

The meeting came after Ukraine’s intelligence service and Western officials issued several warnings in recent weeks that Moscow could soon invade its neighbor. The Kremlin has consistently rejected the allegations and has expressed unease over the eastern European nation potentially joining NATO.