Joe Biden Had Phone Talk with Vladimir Putin, Raised Some Sore Issues

Politics » DIPLOMACY | January 27, 2021, Wednesday // 11:26
Bulgaria: Joe Biden Had Phone Talk with Vladimir Putin, Raised Some Sore Issues

US President Joe Biden has had his first call with Vladimir Putin, the White House and Kremlin said.

Mr Biden raised concerns about the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny while pressing the Russian president on his nation’s involvement in a massive cyber espionage campaign and bounties on American troops in Afghanistan, US officials said.

On a positive note, the two presidents agreed to have their teams work urgently to complete an extension of New Start, the last remaining US-Russian arms control treaty, before it expires next month.

“In the nearest days, the parties will complete the necessary procedures that will ensure further functioning” of the pact, the Kremlin said in its readout of the call.

Mr Biden has looked to establish a break from the warm rhetoric often displayed towards Mr Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump.

But the new president is also looking to preserve room for diplomacy.

Unlike his immediate predecessors, Mr Biden has not held out hope for a “reset” in relations with Russia but has instead indicated he wants to manage differences with the former Cold War foe without necessarily resolving them or improving ties.

And, with a heavy domestic agenda and looming decisions needed on Iran and China, a direct confrontation with Russia is not something he seeks.

Moscow reached out last week to request the call, according to the US officials.

Mr Biden agreed but wanted first to prepare with his staff and speak to European allies, including the leaders of Britain, France and Germany.

On Tuesday before his call with Mr Putin, Mr Biden spoke to Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression.

Mr Biden told Mr Putin that his administration is assessing the SolarWinds breach and the reports that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan.

Mr Biden said the United States is willing to defend itself and will take action, which could include further sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, according to the administration officials.

The Kremlin’s readout did not address the most contentious issues between the countries, though it said the leaders also discussed other “acute issues on the bilateral and international agenda”.

It described the talk as “frank and businesslike” – often a diplomatic way of referring to tense discussions.

It also said Mr Putin congratulated Mr Biden on becoming president and “noted that normalisation of ties between Russia and the United States would serve the interests of both countries”.

Among the issues it said were discussed were the coronavirus pandemic, the Iran nuclear agreement, Ukraine and issues related to trade and the economy.

The call came as Mr Putin considers the aftermath of pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend.

Mr Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on the protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. More protests are planned for the coming weekend.

Mr Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner and Mr Putin’s best-known critic, was arrested on January 17 as he returned to Russia from Germany, where he had spent nearly five months recovering from nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Mr Biden has previously condemned the use of chemical weapons.

Russian authorities deny the accusations.

 

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Diplomacy » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: Biden, Putin, sore problems

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria