Kremlin welcomes Biden call for talks with Putin

Moscow, April 16: The Kremlin said on Friday it was “good” that US President Joe Biden was seeking dialogue with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin but criticised the United States for a fresh bout of sanctions on Moscow.

Biden’s offer earlier this week of a summit between the leaders amounted to a peace offering as tensions between Russia and the West were escalating over the conflict in Ukraine and the new penalties levied by Washington.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday said that Putin has long talked about the importance of normalising relations between Moscow and Washington. “He has repeatedly said that we are ready to develop our dialogue to the degree that our counterparts are ready for this,” he said.

But Peskov also blasted a new round of penalties imposed by Washington on Moscow Thursday. —