Russia-Ukraine conflict: As fear of war looms, Putin and Biden conclude hourlong call
World | February 12, 2022 23:57 ISTA Russian summary of the call suggested that little progress was made toward cooling down the tensions.
A Russian summary of the call suggested that little progress was made toward cooling down the tensions.
Russia says NATO, the American-led alliance that has on its hands the biggest European crisis in decades, must never offer membership to Ukraine, which gained independence as the Soviet Union broke apart about 30 years ago.
Since coming to power in 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin has worked steadily and systematically to reverse what he views as the humiliating breakup of the Soviet Union 30 years ago.
But with less than 2 weeks to go before senior US, Russian officials are to meet in Geneva, the chasm is deep and prospect of finding an exit to crisis faces no shortage of complications.
The 2 leaders spoke frankly for nearly an hour amid growing alarm over Russia’s troop buildup near Ukraine, a crisis that has deepened as Kremlin has stiffened its insistence on border security guarantees and test-fired hypersonic missiles to underscore its demands.
With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on Ukraine border, the highly anticipated call between 2 leaders came amid growing worries by US and Western allies about Russia’s threat to its neighbor.
Putin's visit to India was his second visit abroad during the Covid pandemic. Modi said Putin's second visit abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic reflected his personal commitment to the India-Russia ties and that the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two sides was getting stronger.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is on his tour to India. He was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi received him at Hyderabad House where meeting between the duo is underway.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed plans on Saturday to Russia's state news agency RIA Novosti and said it will take place in the evening. "The presidents will decide themselves” how long the conversation will last, he said.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the NATO ministers will “together send an unmistakable message to the Russian government; NATO's support for Ukraine is unbroken and its independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty are not up for discussion”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his appreciation to China for supporting efforts to enhance international cooperation on environmental matters.
"As for the general assessment, I believe there was no hostility at all," Putin said during his solo press briefing, adding that the meeting, the first of its kind since Biden took office in January, was "open" and with "no pressure of the parties on each other."
Biden meets for his first talks as president with the Russian leader on Wednesday, in what’s expected to be roughly a half-day of discussions between the two leaders and aides behind closed doors.
The Geneva meeting would be the first one between the two leaders after Biden became the President of the United States. The Biden Administration like its predecessors considers Russia as one of the main threats to its national security
Sputnik reported that the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world has been registered by Russia on August 11.
The pilots from the Rossiya Special Flight Unit managed to safely land the presidential plane amid dense fog on November 28 in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, where Putin had arrived to attend the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit.
On September 5, Modi said the friendship between India and Russia was not restricted to governmental interactions in capital cities, but was about people and close business relations. India and Russia signed 15 agreements/MoUs in areas such as defence, air, and maritime connectivity, energy, natural gas, petroleum and trade in September.
Addressing the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) where he is invited as a chief guest by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi said: "In India also, we are building a new India on the 'mantra' of 'sabka saath sabka vikas'. We are aiming to be $ 5 trillion economy by 2024."
"We are expecting you in May next year at the celebrations devoted to marking the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Victory over Nazism," the Russian president told Prime Minister Modi during their talks.
"It will not be easy to reconcile our differences, but it is becoming clearer what the issues we need to overcome are," Shinzo Abe said.
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