Russia 'open to dialogue' with US, but says Ukraine must be on agenda
- In Reports
- 10:32 PM, Jun 22, 2024
- Myind Staff
Russia emphasised an urgent necessity for security discussions with the United States, insisting these talks must be "comprehensive" and include the issue of Ukraine, the Kremlin stated on Friday.
"It is impossible to rip out any individual segments from the general complex of accumulated problems, and we will not do this," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked if Moscow was ready to talk to Washington about nuclear risks.
"So we are open to dialogue, but to a broad comprehensive dialogue that covers all dimensions, including the current dimension related to the conflict around Ukraine, related to the direct involvement of the USA in this conflict," Peskov told reporters.
The United States dismisses Russia's claim that by supplying arms to Ukraine, it has become a direct participant in a war intended to deliver a devastating "strategic defeat" to Moscow. The U.S. asserts that any negotiations regarding the war are a matter for Ukraine.
The Russian position, as outlined by Peskov, remains unchanged. However, he informed reporters that the list of issues requiring discussion between Russia and the United States is expanding.
"Overall, this dialogue is very much required," Peskov said. "It is needed because problems are piling up, and there are a lot of problems associated with the global security architecture."
From Washington's perspective, it is Putin who is increasing the list of security concerns in the third year of the war in Ukraine.
This week, he visited nuclear-armed North Korea, signed a mutual defence agreement with its leader Kim Jong Un, and stated he might supply Russian weapons to North Korea in response to Western arms being sent to Ukraine.
Additionally, on Thursday, Putin reiterated that he was considering reviewing Russia's nuclear weapons doctrine. The last remaining arms control treaty limiting the number of strategic nuclear warheads that Russia and the United States can deploy is set to expire in 2026.
Image source: Reuters
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