Putin: Relations with the US ‘unsatisfactory’ but we are open to dialogue

LAST UPDATE: 17.38

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday described Russia’s relations with the United States as “unsatisfactory”, but said Moscow was open to dialogue and that a June summit with US counterpart Joe Biden could improve relations. , according to Reuters.

“In many bilateral and international interests, our positions are really different, as everyone knows,” Putin said in a wide-ranging speech to foreign policy officials in Moscow.

“However, I want to say once again that we are open to contacts and exchanges of views, through a constructive dialogue.”

Putin added that the West takes Russia’s warnings not to cross its “red lines” very lightly and that Moscow needs strong security guarantees from the West.

The Kremlin said in September that NATO would cross Russia’s “red lines” if it expanded its military presence in Ukraine, and Moscow has since accused Ukraine and NATO of destabilizing behavior, including in the Black Sea.

The Russian president complained that Western bombers with “very serious weapons” were flying 20 kilometers from the Russian border.

NATO – with which Moscow severed ties last month – has destroyed all dialogue mechanisms, Putin said.

Putin, meanwhile, has called on Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko to enter into a dialogue with the opposition, which has demanded that Lukashenko release political prisoners.

It is noted that Putin has supported Belarus in the confrontation with the European Union over the issue of thousands of migrants trapped at the EU border.

“We know that the situation in Belarus has calmed down inside the country, but there are still problems, we know that very well,” Putin said. It was not clear with whom opposition figures Putin encouraged Lukashenko to talk.