There is further need, said the spokesman for the Moscow Presidential Office, Dmitri Peskov, on Wednesday. A date has not yet been set. First, representatives from both countries should get in touch. According to Ukraine, the video summit served as a deterrent and de-escalation.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Reuters that he was confident that Putin has received some clear and strong signals. “We applaud the crucial US diplomatic engagement in efforts to bring Russia back to the negotiating table,” Kuleba said in a written statement. Priority is given to a deterrent package to prevent Russia from escalating into the military.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj and Biden would discuss further coordination on Thursday to prevent Russia from invading and to revive the Normandy-style peace talks. In this so-called contact group, Germany, France, Russia and the Ukraine discuss issues relating to the longstanding conflict in Ukraine. Great Britain pledged support to Ukraine. Foreign Minister Liz Truss said that they are in contact with NATO partners about possible measures.
Biden and Putin talked about the Ukraine crisis on Tuesday. According to US information, Biden warned of a military escalation. In such a case, the US and its allies would react with military and other measures, said the US Presidential Office after the two-hour conversation. The Russian Presidential Office said Putin had called it wrong to hold his country solely responsible for the current tensions. He had accused NATO of rearming near the Russian borders. Other topics such as the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline were not discussed, said Putin’s spokesman Peskow.
Russian troop movements on the border with Ukraine have raised concerns in the West. The government in Kiev accuses Russia of having now gathered more than 94,000 soldiers on the common border. Ukraine is striving to join NATO, which would mean crossing a red line for Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia is relying on certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the spring. The RIA reported on Wednesday. The German Federal Network Agency has yet to approve the controversial pipeline through the Baltic Sea. Without the okay, no Russian gas can flow through the 1,200-kilometer-long double tube. The US is critical of the pipeline. They fear that Europe will become too dependent on Russia. According to insiders, the US has agreed with Germany to close the pipeline should Russia invade Ukraine.
Source: Nachrichten
