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Biden also addressed questions about Russia’s involvement in a massive cyber-espionage campaign and the Taliban’s alleged retribution for killing US troops in Afghanistan.
Biden reaffirmed “Washington’s strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty” and expressed concern over the “poisoning of Alexei Navaln” and the police crackdown on his supporters, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
According to her, the conversation was initiated by Biden to discuss with Putin “our desire to extend” the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which limits the size of US and Russian nuclear arsenals.
The contract is valid until February 5, but it is likely to be extended.
But Biden showed during the conversation that he would take a tougher stance on Russia than his predecessor, Donald Trump.
According to Psaki, the president expressed concern about the human rights situation in Russia, his government’s treatment of members of the opposition, including the poisoning of Navaln, its interference in the 2020 agenda. Elections and the treatment of protesters peace by the Russian security forces. Biden reaffirmed, among other things, the strong US support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.
According to Psaki, Biden also “made it clear” that the United States would take decisive action to defend its national interests in response to malicious actions by Russia that harm the United States or its allies.
The report released by the Kremlin does not mention whether it was A. Navalnas or cyber attacks.
Vladimir Putin congratulated Joseph Biden on his inauguration as president of the United States. He noted that the normalization of Russia-United States relations would benefit both countries and, given their special responsibility to maintain security and stability in the world, the international community as a whole. [interesus]”The Kremlin said in a statement.
“Opportunities for cooperation to address a sensitive issue such as the coronavirus pandemic have been discussed, as well as in other areas, including trade and the economy,” he added.
Putin submitted a bill to parliament on Tuesday to extend a major nuclear weapons deal with the United States for five years that expires next week.
Under the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), signed in 2010, which limits the size of the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia, the largest in the world, Moscow and Washington can deploy up to 1,550 nuclear warheads.
Putin’s bill was published on the website of the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, on Tuesday night.
“On January 26, 2021, Russia and the United States agreed to extend this agreement,” read the explanatory memorandum for the bill.
It states that the two parties “agreed in principle” to extend the new START contract for five years.
The state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Leonid Sluckis, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the lower house of parliament, as saying that the State Duma could consider the bill on Wednesday.
The bill was announced after Putin and new US President Biden spoke on the phone for the first time on Tuesday night.
Following the call, the Kremlin issued a statement saying the two leaders had “expressed their satisfaction” with the negotiations to extend the treaty.
The Kremlin added that in the “coming days,” both sides “will ensure that this important international legal mechanism for reciprocal limitation of nuclear missile arsenals continues to function.”
Biden considers Nord Stream 2 useless for Europe, the White House said
US President Biden believes that the Nord Stream 2 project of Russia’s second export gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea to Germany is not good for Europe, White House spokeswoman J. Psaki said.
“The president still thinks Nord Stream is bad business for Europe,” Psaki told a news conference on Tuesday.
He stressed that the president of the United States will analyze the sanctions previously imposed on the Nord Stream 2 project.
“It will continue to consult with European partners on this issue,” added Psaki.
The United States added last week, during the last days of Trump’s presidency, the Fortuna Nord Stream 2 ship and its owner, the Russian company KVT-RUS, to the sanctions list of the United States Anti-Sanctions Act (CAATSA ).
Russia was forced to complete the modernization of its existing Nord Stream 2 vessels after a Swiss contractor stopped work in late 2019 due to the threat of US sanctions.
To date, more than 2.3 thousand. 2.46 thousand. kilometers, or 94%, of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.
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