Russia needs legally binding agreements on security proposals: Putin tells Biden

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his US counterpart Joe Biden that Moscow requires legally binding agreements on security guarantees, revealed Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. In a 50-minute-long telephonic conversation, Putin even conveyed the crucial principles about the earlier submitted documents on security guarantees. It is to note that the call between the Kremlin leader and US President came amid heightened tensions in Europe between Russia and the West over Moscow’s border with Ukraine. 

According to Sputnik, Ushakov also described the Putin-Biden call as substantive. He was quoted by the news agency on Thursday as saying, “Vladimir Putin outlined in detail the basic principles that were put in the documents we handed over, and stressed that negotiations on these three tracks are important for us [bilateral talks in Geneva, Russia-NATO council in Brussels, and OSCE summit in Vienna].”

“But the main thing is that we need a result, and we will achieve a result in the form of ensuring the guaranteed security of Russia,” Ushakov also said while adding, “Biden has clearly said that the United States is not going to deploy offensive strike weapons to Ukraine.”

Putin warns Biden of severing relations if West imposes sanctions

While Ushakov stressed that the Biden-Putin phone call was substantive and specific, he also stated that the Russian President warned the US counterpart of cutting ties if the West decides to impose sanctions on Moscow over the situation developing in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Biden also warned Putin about the new financial, military and economic sanctions against Russia in case the tensions near the Ukrainian border escalated. Ushakov was quoted by Sputnik as saying, “Our president clearly responded that this would be a big mistake that of course may result in the full severance of relations.”

According to the report, Putin even conveyed to Biden that such sanctions by the US would be met with serious consequences while expressing hope that it would not happen. Further weighing on the high-stakes phone call between two of the world’s greatest superpowers, Ushakov reportedly said, “In principle, we are satisfied with the talks as they were frank, substantive and specific. And I can also say that the spirit of these talks was constructive.”

(IMAGE: AP)