Russia’s president Vladimir Putin told the US president Joe Biden that he would “really want” to meet him in person as they agreed to hold more talks amid tensions over the troop build-up near Ukraine.
According to a short video released on the state TV channel Rossiya 1, Mr Putin told his US counterpart: “[We will] definitely see each other, I would really want that to happen.”
But Mr Putin had no particular grounds for optimism after he spoke to his US counterpart, said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, attributing it to very serious, conceptual differences between the two countries over Moscow’s “red lines”.
The two leaders had held a video conversation on Tuesday where they discussed the situation in Ukraine, as well as the bilateral ties between the two countries, reported the Russian state-run news agency Sputnik News.
According to the Kremlin spokesperson, Mr Putin told the US president that the Russian forces are deployed within the country’s territory and not in Ukraine, adding that it does not pose a threat to anyone.
He said that the US fell for the “fake news campaign” around the fears of Russia invading Ukraine, and believed it to be true, adding that Moscow is being “demonised” for moving troops within its own territory, reported Sputnik News.
While the US president used the call to warn Moscow about the imposition of “strong economic and other measures” if it invades Ukraine, Mr Putin reportedly demanded a guarantee against the expansion of Nato in the east. He also demanded that certain offensive weapons not be deployed in the countries that border it, including Ukraine.
Mr Peskov added that the conversation between the two leaders was “respectful” and said media reports about Mr Biden trying to “frighten” the Russian leader were incorrect.
Meanwhile, the G7, comprising of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the US, met this weekend in Liverpool and warned Russia of massive consequences and economic penalties if Moscow attacks Ukraine, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters.
This comes as US intelligence assessed Russia to be planning a multi-front attack on Ukraine as early as next year, involving up to 175,000 troops.
“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the right of any sovereign state to determine its own future," the draft said.
Additional reporting by agencies
