The Kremlin on Friday rejected the terms mentioned the day before by US President Joe Biden, who said he was ready to discuss with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin if the latter withdraws his forces from Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the US president “has in fact said that negotiations will only be possible after Putin leaves Ukraine,” which Moscow “clearly rejects.”
He insisted that “the military operation continues.”
On Thursday, Biden said he was “ready” to talk to Mr. Putin if the latter was “looking for a way to end the war” in Ukraine. He put as a condition the first withdrawal of Russian troops.
If so, then in consultation with my French and NATO friends, I would be happy to sit down with Putin and see what he has in mind. He added during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Kremlin spokesman said that while he rejects Biden’s terms, Putin “is open and remains open to contacts and negotiations, which is very important.”
Mr. Peskov added that the United States does not recognize the annexation of four Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow in September, which “significantly complicates the search for (common) grounds for a possible discussion.”
