Biden sees 'no reason' to talk to Putin.
US President Joe Biden said he had no reason to speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, including about the Ukraine conflict. However, he also said he would not refuse to cooperate with any world leader.
According to RT, speaking to reporters on July 11 (US time), President Biden was asked whether he would still be able to “cope” with Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in a few years.
"I am ready to respond to them now," he replied, noting that he remains in contact with Mr. Xi.
However, when asked about the Russian leader, President Biden said he “has no legitimate reason to speak with Putin” at this time. Referring to the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv, he said: “I am not ready to speak with Putin unless he is willing to change his behavior.”
However, Biden later said he was willing to work with “any leader who wants to talk,” including Putin. He recounted that the last time the two leaders spoke in person, they discussed an arms control agreement involving nuclear weapons in space.
The most recent phone call between Biden and Putin took place in late December 2021, weeks before the start of Russia's campaign in Ukraine, which sent bilateral relations plummeting to their lowest point since the Cold War.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last month that Russia was ready to negotiate with the U.S., but only if the dialogue was "comprehensive" and included not only arms control issues but also the Ukraine conflict.
Peskov said, "It is impossible to remove any individual segment from the overall complex of accumulated problems," while acknowledging that both sides need to engage to address the growing issues in the global security structure.
On July 11th, according to RT, Putin's name was once again mentioned by Biden at a joint event in Washington when he mistakenly identified Vladimir Zelensky of Ukraine as the Russian leader.
