Russian President Vladimir Putin is traveling to Switzerland on Wednesday to meet with his US counterpart Joe Biden for bilateral talks. This would be their first meeting since Biden assumed the Oval Office.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that statements coming from the US about a necessity to contain Russia ahead of the Biden-Putin summit in Geneva "do not ease the general atmosphere".
“There are still vibes favoring the need to speak with Moscow through containment, through pressure, and so on. We all hear the words that Moscow will have to pay for this, for that. This, of course, does not ease the general atmosphere, but again I repeat: after all, both sides have the intention to speak, both President Putin and President Biden," the spokesman said as Sputnik reported.
Putin is "always clear" when it comes to "outlining the red lines for Russia," he added.
Meanwhile, Peskov argued that there is a positive sign in American rhetoric calling for a dialogue with Russia, which will be taken into account by President Putin.
Addressing the matter of Ukraine, a topic that is expected to be raised by two presidents during their bilateral talks, the spokesperson noted that Biden's statement about the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO will be taken into account by Moscow.
"This is a new element. No such statements have been made before. Of course, in Moscow, we paid full attention to it. I have no doubt that, if necessary, the President will clearly outline our position," Peskov added.
Putin and Biden will meet at Villa La Grange, near Lake Geneva in the afternoon to talk about strategic stability, cybercrime, the COVID pandemic, and a variety of other issues. Arms control is also expected to be one of the topics discussed by the two presidents, but the substance of these discussions "goes beyond the framework of bilateral relations", Peskov told Channel One Russia.
"Strategic stability applies to the whole world," the spokesman said.
"Yes, the New START treaty was extended, there was a political decision of the Biden administration. This is a positive fact. But time is running out ... and negotiations need to be started urgently. These will be difficult, very complex negotiations," according to Peskov.
Previously Putin argued that the relations between the two countries have hit "a low point".
According to the Kremlin, the time for talks between Putin and Biden will not be limited, as it's quite difficult to discuss all the issues, even over the course of five hours of negotiations. The presidents even could have a one-on-one meeting, if they find it necessary, the spokesman revealed.
HJ/PR