Moscow keeps cool despite Biden’s antagonism and hosts landmark Afghan talks
Mar.19, 2021
On the evening of March 17, Moscow announced that it was pulling Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov for consultations, in response to Joe Biden’s interview with ABC News. Consultations were needed to prevent an “irreversible degradation” of relations with the United States, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, adding later that Antonov will stay in Moscow “as long as necessary.” According to experts interviewed by Vedomosti, Russia will not worsen bilateral relations, because neither Moscow nor Washington needs an escalation of tensions.
Continue reading at https://tass.com/pressreview/1267847
Biden on Talks With Putin: ‘I’m Sure We’ll Talk at Some Point’
Mar.19, 2021
On Thursday, a day after Joe Biden agreed with a journalist’s characterisation of Vladimir Putin as a “killer” with “no soul,” the Russian president proposed holding live, public video talks with the US leader to discuss a range of pressing issues, from global strategic stability to the coronavirus and regional conflicts.
President Biden has responded to his Russian counterpart’s invitation to a live-streamed conversation, saying he expects to speak him at some unspecified future date.
“I’m sure we’ll talk at some point,” Biden said, speaking to reporters in Washington on Friday morning on his way to the Marine One helicopter.
Continue reading at sputniknews.com
Kremlin ready to hold Putin-Biden talks at any time convenient for US president
Mar.19, 2021
The talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden may still take place on Monday, if the US is unable to hold the discussion on Friday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He reminded that the Kremlin is also ready to hold the talks at any time convenient for Biden.
The White House has not accepted the offer to hold live talks between the Russian and US leaders yet. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that Biden would be on a working trip to the US state of Georgia on Friday, so it is unlikely that he will be able to hold talks with Putin on this day.
Continue reading at tass.com
After Biden’s ‘killer’ comments about Putin, time to make a break in Russia-US relations; further engagement is pointless for now
By Fyodor Lukyanov
Mar. 19, 2021
Joe Biden’s ‘yes’ to an interviewer’s question about Vladimir Putin being a killer sounds outrageous even against the backdrop of the dreadful relations between Washington and Moscow, which have been in free fall for a long time.
His answer was met with a wide range of reactions in Russia. Some say the American president isn’t quite capable of understanding the questions he is asked, while others suggest that this was Biden declaring war against Putin.
The first theory doesn’t seem credible – just watch the video. Biden speaks confidently and coherently, recalling his previous meetings with Putin that took place a long time ago. His answer to the question about Putin being a killer is somewhat demonstrative, actually. He is obviously in full possession of his faculties.
Continue reading at www.rt.com
EU drawn into US disputes with Russia and China
Mar.19, 2021
The EU press service has gotten drawn into a verbal punch-up between the Kremlin and White House by endorsing US president Joe Biden’s assertion that his Russian counterpart was a “killer”.
Biden had said so in a TV interview on Wednesday (17 March), referring to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s assassinations of political opponents.
And his language evoked an equally pungent response from Putin on Thursday.
“As far as statements by my US counterpart are concerned. What would I say to him in response? I would tell him: ‘Be healthy!’ I wish him good health,” Putin said, in a comment that could be read as a jibe against the 78-year old Biden’s advanced age.
Continue reading at https://euobserver.com/world/151295
Kremlin: Putin’s offer of a call with Biden was to save ties
Mar.19, 2021
The Kremlin said Friday that President Vladimir Putin’s offer to speak by phone with U.S. President Joe Biden was intended to prevent bilateral ties from completely falling apart over the American’s remark that the Russian leader was a killer.
Putin made it clear that “it makes sense to have a talk to maintain Russia-U.S. relations instead of trading barbs,” and he wanted to make it public to help defuse tensions over Biden’s “very bad remarks,” said his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.
Continue reading at apnews.com
