The United States has expressed readiness to negotiate a New START nuclear treaty with Russia, despite the fact that the latter accused Washington of “toxic” behavior towards it, which they expected to postpone negotiations between officials of the two countries, which were supposed to was held in Cairo on November 29 to discuss issues related to the treaty, and accused Moscow of Washington’s attempt to change the balance of power under the treaty in a “completely illegal” way by adjusting weapons.
In Moscow’s first public response to U.S. President Joe Biden’s willingness to speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to end the Ukrainian war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The President of the Russian Federation has been and remains open to negotiations in order to guarantee our interests.” adding: “The refusal of the United States to recognize Russia’s annexation of territory in Ukraine hinders the search for ways to end the war.”
Biden said after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Thursday that he was ready to talk to Putin “if there is a real interest on his part that he decides to look for a way to end the war.” the leader “hasn’t done it yet”.
In a phone call yesterday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin denounced the West’s “destructive” pro-Kyiv policy, stressing that increased Russian strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are “necessary and unavoidable.” The Kremlin spokesman said: President Putin will continue the military operation in Ukraine, but at the same time is open to negotiations.