Talks held with Joe Biden about new meeting with Vladimir Putin: Russia

MOSCOW

Russia’s foreign minister spoke to Joe Biden about the need for another meeting between the US and Russian presidents, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Sergey Lavrov spoke briefly with President Biden at the G20 summit in Rome and they discussed the need to continue high-level contact between Russia and the US, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Contacts at the highest level are necessary for Russia and the US’ relations on a bilateral level and in “a wider geography,” he added.

Peskov said Moscow and Washington have held a series of consultations on cybersecurity since Vladimir Putin and Biden met in Geneva this June.

“These contacts take place behind closed doors. This is not an area where publicity can help us achieve the results that Moscow and Washington would like to achieve. We hope that these contacts will continue,” he added.

On Biden’s “disappointment” over Russia’s absence from the G20 climate talks, Peskov stressed that Russia “took a very, very active part” in the forum, including “two meaningful speeches” by Putin via video link.

He pointed out that Russia outlined its plan and aims for carbon neutrality “weeks before the G20 summit.”

As for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference that kicked off in Glasgow on Sunday, Peskov said the Russian president will not be participating “because there is no possibility to address the gathering via video link.”

Putin, however, has recorded a video message that will be played at one of the sessions, he added.

On the issue of vaccine recognition between Russia and the EU, Peskov said there is hope for “positive results” in the near future.

“This is a difficult process, although we are moving well [on the matter]. We hope that there will be positive results in the foreseeable future,” he said.