Putin warned Biden about a complete breakdown in relations with the introduction of new sanctions on Ukraine
Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden. Photo: Reuters
Aide to the Russian president, Yuri Ushakov, revealed details of a telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and his counterpart, US President Joe Biden. During the dialogue, the leaders of the countries considered various issues, including the situation in Ukraine and the risk of a complete rupture of cooperation between Russia and the United States, reports TASS.
Breaking ties
During the conversation, Biden warned his Russian counterpart that if the escalation on the Ukrainian border continued, the West would develop “large-scale and unprecedented sanctions” in the economic and military spheres. In response, Putin pledged to sever relations with the introduction of new measures.
But our president immediately reacted to this by saying that if the West nevertheless decides to introduce the above-mentioned unprecedented sanctions under certain conditions, then all this could lead to a complete rupture of relations between our countries. And serious damage will be done to Russia's relations with the West in general
Yuri UshakovAssistant to the President of Russia
In addition, Putin called the possible sanctions against Russia a major mistake. He specifically noted that the descendants will interpret this step in this way. “Many such mistakes have already been made over the past 30 years, so it is advisable not to make such mistakes anymore in this situation,” concluded Ushakov.
About sanctions
At the same time, during the conversation, Biden did not directly comment on Russia's actions, for which the country was threatened with sanctions. Ushakov noted that the US leader hinted at large-scale restrictions. The presidents also considered this issue during their previous conversation on December 7.
This does not imply anything, because we do not know what “large-scale sanctions” are, but we know that this will be a colossal mistake that can lead to the most serious consequences.
Yuri UshakovAssistant to the President of Russia
On December 24, US Vice President Kamala Harris said that Russia could face “the strongest sanctions” due to the situation on the Ukrainian border. In an interview with CBS, she ignored the question of the possibility of a “hot war in Europe” in the near future and promised that Washington would explain to Moscow the need to preserve Ukraine's sovereignty.
The situation in Ukraine
In a telephone conversation, Biden promised Putin that the United States would not deploy offensive strike weapons in Ukraine. This is a key moment for the Russian side, which was emphasized by the Russian Foreign Ministry in the documents on security guarantees.
Draft agreements with NATO and the United States in this area were presented on December 17. They contain calls not to view Russia as a rival, not to pose a threat of military escalation and not to expand NATO to the East.
A spokesman for the American administration said that the United States is closely monitoring the movements and concentration of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border. He confirmed that Biden had discussed with Putin the inevitability of de-escalation and again threatened with consequences for Russia in case of a possible invasion of the republic.
Dialogue scores
The Kremlin said that the “frank” conversation between Putin and Biden was beneficial for both sides. The press service of the department separately noted that the Russian leader gave an “exhaustive answer” to the possibility of the United States adopting new sanctions against Russia.
State Duma Deputy Adalbi Shkhagoshev said that the telephone conversation between Putin and Biden can be compared to a metronome. The dialogue was serious, both presidents expect concrete results, which is an absolute priority for them.
The leaders of the United States and the Russian Federation made it clear that everything is going by agreement
Adalbi Shkhagoshev State Duma Deputy
However, a leading researcher at the Pacific Institute of Geography of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Economic Sciences Yuri Avdeev said that Biden's statement on Ukraine looks like a concession and creates the appearance of a compromise. This outcome of the negotiations does not suit Russia, the specialist is sure.
Further negotiations
The exact date of the new dialogue between Putin and Biden is currently unknown. It is assumed that they can communicate as early as January 2022. Ushakov added that everything depends on the situation and the outcome of the talks on security guarantees in Geneva, which are scheduled for January 9-10.
The aide to the Russian president admitted that a conversation between the leaders, if necessary, could be organized immediately after January 10.
Earlier, Putin warned the United States about the impossibility of Russia to retreat in the situation with Ukraine. He noted that the actions that the States are trying to take on Ukrainian territory are taking place “at the doorstep of our home.”
