MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia sees a strong need for security talks with the United States but they must be “comprehensive” and include the issue of Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Friday.
“It is impossible to exclude any parts of the accumulated problems, and we will not do this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked if Moscow was ready to talk to Washington about nuclear risks.
“So we are open to dialogue, but in a broad dialogue that includes all parties, including the current situation related to the conflict around Ukraine, related to the direct involvement of the USA in this conflict,” Peskov told reporters.
The United States rejects Russia’s contention that by arming Ukraine it has become a direct protagonist in a war aimed at ending Moscow’s “strategic defeat”. The US says any talks about war are a matter for Ukraine.
The Russian position, as described by Peskov, is not new. But he told reporters that the list of topics that Russia and the United States should discuss is growing.
“Overall, this discussion is very necessary,” said Peskov. “It is necessary because the problems are accumulating, and there are many problems related to the construction of security around the world.”
In Washington’s view, it is Putin, in the third year of the war in Ukraine, who is adding to the security list.
This week he visited nuclear-armed North Korea, signed a defense pact with its leader Kim Jong Un and said he might give North Korea Russian weapons because of the arming of Ukraine.
Putin reiterated Thursday that he is considering revising Russia’s doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons. The last remaining arms control agreement that limits the number of nuclear weapons that Russia and the United States can use will expire in 2026.
