Kremlin Accuses Biden of Instilling False Hope in Hotheads
The US President wanted to address clear words to Vladimir Putin. However, statements about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine irritated. Therefore, the White House feels compelled to clarify.
US President Joe Biden has threatened Russia with tough sanctions if it invades Ukraine. The Kremlin claims such statements could destabilise the situation – and a “civil war” in Donbas.
The Kremlin has warned of the danger of an escalation in the Ukraine conflict in the face of new threats by US President Joe Biden against Russia. According to the Interfax agency, the statements do not contribute to relaxation and could lead to a destabilisation of the situation, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday in Moscow. “They could give false hope to the hotheads of some representatives of the Ukrainian leadership that they will decide to start a civil war again and solve the problem in the southeast by force.” The “southeast” means Donbas.
For months, the United States and NATO have accused Russia of planning an attack on Ukraine. Moscow rejects this every day. Above all, Russia wants to use the deployment near Ukraine to create a threatening backdrop because it sees itself increasingly threatened by NATO expansion.
On Wednesday, Biden again threatened Moscow with tough sanctions in the event of an invasion: “If they do that, they will pay a high price. Immediate, short-term, medium-term and long-term.” Biden said he suspects Russian soldiers would invade Ukraine but doesn’t think Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants “a full-fledged war.”
Putin and Biden spoke to each other twice in December about the conflict. The Kremlin did not rule out a new talk but wanted to wait for Washington’s response to Moscow’s demands for binding security guarantees. “The presidents themselves decide about their contacts,” said Peskov.
This Friday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US colleague Antony Blinken want to meet in Geneva. It should be about the next steps in connection with the security guarantees, said the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
