MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin is open for any contacts, including with United States (US) President Joe Biden, but there have been no talks between Moscow and Washington on this issue as of yet, Russian news agency (TASS) reported, citing the Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday.
US President Biden earlier told TASS that it was possible for him to hold talks with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil this November.
“There have been no talks on this issue and as of today, at this moment, there are no prerequisites for it,“ Peskov said. “However, the [Russian] president repeatedly stated that he remained open for all contacts.”
On October 3, US President Biden didn not rule out a possible meeting with Russian President Putin at the upcoming summits of the Group of 20 or the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, but expressed doubt that the Russian leader would be in attendance.
“I doubt that Putin will show up,“ Biden said, when asked by a TASS correspondent whether he was ready for talks with the Russian president at the summits in November to discuss Ukraine and international security.
Biden made the comment as he was fielding questions from reporters outside the White House before departing for Tallahassee, Florida, to review relief efforts following Hurricane Helene.
The G20 summit is expected to take place in Brazil on November 18-19. The official dates of the APEC summit in Peru are November 9-16.
- Bernama, TASS
