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WASHINGTON: In his first phone call with Vladimir Putin, President Joe Biden expressed concern on Tuesday (January 26) about the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny and lobbied the Russian leader about a massive cyber espionage campaign and rewards to American troops in Afghanistan, American officials. said.
On a positive note, the two presidents agreed that their teams work urgently to complete an extension of New START, the last remaining US-Russia arms control treaty, before it expires next month.
“In the coming days, the parties will complete the necessary procedures that will guarantee a greater functioning” of the pact, the Kremlin said in its reading of the convocation.
Biden has sought to break with the warm rhetoric that his predecessor, Donald Trump, often shows towards Putin. But the new president also intends to make room for diplomacy.
Unlike his immediate predecessors, Biden has not hoped for a “reset” in relations with Russia, but has indicated that he wants to handle differences with the long-standing enemy of the Cold War without necessarily resolving them or improving ties. And, with a heavy domestic agenda and impending decisions needed on Iran and China, a direct confrontation with Russia is not something he seeks.
The Kremlin reading did not address the most contentious issues between the countries, although it said the leaders also discussed other “acute issues on the bilateral and international agenda.” He described the talk as “frank and professional,” often a diplomatic way of referring to tense discussions.
He also said Putin congratulated Biden on becoming president and “noted that normalizing ties between Russia and the United States would serve the interests of both countries.”
Moscow reached out last week to request the call, according to US officials, who were familiar with the call but were not authorized to discuss it publicly. Biden agreed, but first wanted to prepare with his staff and speak with European allies, including the leaders of Great Britain, France and Germany.
On Tuesday, before his call with Putin, Biden spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging America’s commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression.
Biden told Putin that his administration was evaluating the SolarWinds communications software breach and reports that Russia offered bounties to the Taliban for killing US troops in Afghanistan. Biden said the United States was willing to defend itself and would take steps, which could include additional sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, according to administration officials.
Among the issues the Kremlin said were discussed were the coronavirus pandemic, the Iran nuclear deal, Ukraine and issues related to trade and the economy.
The call, which was first reported by The Associated Press, came as Putin considers the consequences of the pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend. Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. More protests are planned for next weekend.
Navalny, an anti-corruption activist and most well-known critic of Putin, was arrested on January 17 while returning to Russia from Germany, where he had spent nearly five months recovering from nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Biden has previously condemned the use of chemical weapons.
The Russian authorities deny the accusations.
Over the past four years, Trump appeared to seek Putin’s approval, frequently casting doubt on Russian interference in the 2016 election, even as he stood alongside Putin at their 2018 Helsinki summit. He also downplayed Russia’s involvement in the attack on federal government agencies last year and allegations that Russia offered rewards to the Taliban.
Despite this conciliatory approach, the Trump administration also took a hard line against Moscow, imposing sanctions on the country, Russian companies and business leaders on issues ranging from Ukraine to energy supply and attacks on dissidents.
Biden, in his call with Putin, abruptly broke with Trump by stating that he knew that Russia tried to interfere in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Biden told reporters on Monday that he hoped the United States and Russia could cooperate in areas where they both see benefits.
“I find that we can both operate in the mutual interest of our countries as a new START agreement and make it clear to Russia that we are very concerned about their behavior, be it Navalny, SolarWinds or bounty reports on the head. of Americans in Afghanistan, “Biden said.
Biden’s approach has received the approval of some former American diplomats who have dealt with Russia and hope to see how Biden’s team, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his No. 3 State Department nominee Victoria Nuland , outlines the contours of Russian politics.
Nuland, who held Europe’s portfolio in the State Department in President Barack Obama’s second term, is vilified by Putin and his aides in particular for her support of pro-Western politicians in Ukraine. She and Sullivan are said to share opinions on how to deal with Moscow, taking a hard line on human rights and Russia’s intentions in central and eastern Europe while keeping an open channel to the Kremlin on other matters.
But their starting position is tricky, they say, particularly given Putin’s experience dealing with Trump, who often undermines his own administration’s hardline stance on Russia by trying to get close to the Russian leader in private. Trump was also frequently ill-prepared for calls from foreign leaders, ignoring warnings from staff, limiting who could hear the calls, and, especially after calls with Putin, telling very few attendees what was discussed.
“It’s difficult but doable,” said Daniel Fried, the US ambassador to Poland and undersecretary of state for European Affairs in the George W Bush administration. “They will have to solve this on the fly, but it is important to seek New START without hesitation and to reject Navalny’s arrest and other issues without fault.”
“They need to do both and not let Putin tell them that he won’t accept New START unless they leave Navalny, SolarWinds or Afghanistan,” said Fried, who is now on the Atlantic Council. “You have to back off and you can’t let Putin set the terms.”
