Russia said it was open to security talks with the US, but they must include Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said to reporters that talks were meaningless unless all issues were taken into account. He stated that Russia wanted to discuss Ukraine and the “direct involvement of the US in this conflict.”
The Russian stance, as outlined by Peskov, is not new. But he told reporters that the list of topics that Russia and the US needed to discuss was growing.
“Overall, this dialogue is very much required. It is needed because problems are piling up, and there are a lot of problems associated with the global security architecture.”
The US has rejected Russia’s contention that by arming Ukraine it has become a direct protagonist in the war. Washington has also said any negotiations over the war are a matter for Ukraine.
President Putin has added to Washington’s security concerns. Putin recently visited nuclear-armed North Korea where he signed a mutual defence agreement with its leader Kim Jong Un. The Russian leader said he might supply weapons to North Korea in response to the Western arming of Ukraine.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller had said that Putin’s remarks about possible arms supplies to North Korea “would destabilise the Korean Peninsula.”
“Depending on the type of weapons they provide, might violate UN Security Council resolutions that Russia itself has supported.”
Putin also reiterated that he was considering reviewing Russia’s doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons on Thursday. The last remaining arms control treaty that limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads that Russia and the United States can deploy is due to expire in 2026.
With inputs from Reuters
