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US-Russia relations are so poor that only a summit can sort them out, Putin’s spokesman says

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“The principle cause for him [to go] is the poor state of the connection between our two international locations. And a important degree of this relationship that calls for a summit between our two international locations as a result of that is the one manner … to stop additional degradation of our dialogue,” Peskov informed CNN.

Subsequent week’s high-stakes summit in Geneva comes as relations between each nations hit latest new lows within the first few months of the Biden administration.

The US introduced sweeping sanctions in April, punishing Moscow for its interference within the 2020 US election, its ongoing occupation and “extreme human rights abuses” in Crimea, and the SolarWinds cyberattack — one of many worst information breaches to ever hit the US authorities.

Russia’s ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov was recalled from Washington after Biden known as Putin a killer in March. US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan left Moscow after Russia instructed he return to Washington for consultations.

Biden informed a hangar of US troops on Wednesday he was in Europe to defend the very idea of democracy and warned his Russian counterpart that he deliberate to lift sensitive points throughout their chat. “I am headed to the G7, then to the NATO ministerial after which to fulfill with Mr. Putin to let him know what I need him to know,” Biden stated.

This is the reason the summit might be “an excellent alternative” to air each international locations’ considerations, Peskov stated Friday.

He additionally accused the US of freezing dialogue between the 2 international locations over the previous 5 to seven years “in all of the fields, together with the important fields for each our folks and even for humankind, like [the] combat with terror [attacks], with local weather change, financial cooperation, cooperation in vaccines, within the pandemic … they refuse to cooperate with us in combating digital crime, and so forth and so forth.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN Vladimir Putin is ready to participate in a joint press conference or hold one of his own in Geneva.

As to studies that there can be no joint press convention on the finish of the Biden-Putin summit, Peskov informed CNN that Russia was not anticipating one. Nonetheless, the Kremlin stated negotiations are persevering with on the ultimate format.

“We heard about such a chance from our American counterparts, however we’re nonetheless ready for closing affirmation, however because the very starting President Putin has been open to any options,” Peskov stated.

Peskov added that Putin was able to take part in a joint press convention or maintain certainly one of his personal in Geneva.

One sensitive concern that Biden might hope to lift is that of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, who was imprisoned earlier this yr for allegedly violating the probation phrases of a 2014 case.

Nonetheless, Peskov informed CNN that Putin was not planning to have interaction with Biden with regards to Navalny — to whom Putin by no means refers by title.

Requested if Putin deliberate to not again down on the problem whether it is broached at Wednesday’s summit, the Kremlin spokesman stated: “Effectively, there may be nothing to debate about it. There’s nothing to debate about this gentleman. He is in jail, and he isn’t a topic for the agenda of our bilateral relations.”

A Moscow courtroom on Wednesday dominated that two organizations linked to Navalny are “extremist” teams — forcing them to close down and rendering their members ineligible to run in upcoming elections. Each teams deny the cost of extremism.

For Biden, the goal of the Geneva summit is to facilitate a extra secure and predictable diplomatic relationship with Russia.

However his administration has low expectations for the assembly, and has tempered recommendations that the US and Russia would come away from the assembly with any groundbreaking agreements.

“We do not consider US-Russia summits by way of deliverables,” Nationwide Safety Adviser Jake Sullivan informed reporters this week. “We’re considering of it as a chance to speak what our intentions and capabilities are.”

The dialog subsequent Wednesday will seemingly be fraught for each leaders, with the agenda anticipated to incorporate cyber-attacks, human rights violations, and Russia’s actions in Ukraine, in response to US officers.

Biden initially proposed the summit with the Russian President in April throughout a phone name, and the 2 sides have been working to finalize particulars since.

Regardless of deteriorating relations between the 2 international locations on points like Ukraine and election interference, Biden hopes to ascertain a transparent channel of communication that may keep away from undue surprises.

Their assembly will mark an finish to Biden’s first journey overseas as US President, starting with the Group of Seven summit at a seaside resort in Cornwall, UK. After the G7 wraps Sunday, Biden heads to Brussels for the NATO summit adopted by his assembly with Putin.

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