WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden received his first call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House and the Kremlin said. U.S. officials say Biden has expressed concern over the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny as he pressures the Russian president on involving his nation in a massive campaign of cyberespionage and rewards on US troops in Afghanistan.
On a positive note, the two presidents agreed that their teams work urgently to complete an extension of New START, the latest US-Russia arms control treaty, before the expiration of next month.
“In the coming days, the parties will complete the necessary procedures to ensure the continued functioning” of the pact, the Kremlin said in a reading of the appeal.
Biden tried to establish a break from the warm rhetoric often displayed against Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. But the new president is also looking to keep room for diplomacy.
Unlike his immediate predecessors, Biden did not support the hope of a “reset” in relations with Russia, but instead indicated that he wanted to manage the differences with the former enemy of the Cold War without necessarily resolving them or improving ties. And with a heavy domestic agenda and decisions approaching Iran and China, a direct confrontation with Russia is not something he is looking for.
Moscow contacted last week to request the appeal, according to US officials, who were familiar with the call but were not allowed to speak in public. Biden agreed, but first wanted to train with his staff and talk to European allies, including leaders in Britain, France and Germany.
On Tuesday, before his call with Putin, Biden spoke with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bastion against Russian aggression.
Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the violation of SolarWinds and reports that Russia had offered Taliban rewards to kill US troops in Afghanistan. Biden said the United States is willing to defend itself and will take steps, which could include additional sanctions, to ensure Moscow does not act accordingly, according to administration officials.
The reading of the Kremlin did not address the most controversial issues between the countries, although he said that the leaders discussed other “acute issues on the bilateral and international agenda.” He described the discussion as “sincere and business” – often a diplomatic way of referring to tense discussions. He also said that Putin congratulated Biden on becoming president and “mentioned that the normalization of ties between Russia and the United States would serve the interests of both countries.”
Among the issues he said were discussed are the coronavirus pandemic, the nuclear deal in Iran, Ukraine and issues related to trade and economy.
The call came when Putin considered the consequences of the pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend. Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on protests, in which more than 3,700 people have been arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. More protests are planned for next weekend.
Navalny, an anti-corruption activist and Putin’s best-known critic, was arrested on January 17 while returning to Russia from Germany, where he had spent nearly five months recovering from nervous breakdowns he blames on the Kremlin. . Biden has previously condemned the use of chemical weapons.
Russian authorities deny the allegations.
Trump seemed to seek Putin’s approval, often questioning Russian interference in the 2016 election, including when he sided with Putin at the 2018 Helsinki summit. He also downplayed Russia’s involvement in federal government agency hacks last year and allegations that Russia had offered Taliban rewards.
Despite this conciliatory approach, the Trump administration has taken a hard line against Moscow, imposing sanctions on the country, Russian companies and business leaders for issues ranging from Ukraine to energy supplies and attacks on dissidents.
Biden, in his call with Putin, abruptly broke with Trump, stating that he knows that Russia tried to intervene in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Biden told reporters on Monday that he hopes the United States and Russia can cooperate in areas where they both see benefits.
“I see that we can both operate in the mutual interest of our countries as a new START agreement and make it clear to Russia that we are very concerned about their behavior, whether it’s Navalny, SolarWinds, or rewards reports on head of the Americans in Afghanistan, “Biden said.
Biden’s approach has received the approval of former US diplomats who have dealt with Russia and is looking forward to seeing how Biden’s team is demarcated, including National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and his State Department No. 3 candidate. Victoria Nuland. the contours of Russian politics.
Nuland, who held Europe’s portfolio at the State Department during President Barack Obama’s second term, is being insulted by Putin and his aides, especially for their support of pro-Western politicians in Ukraine. She and Sullivan are said to share views on how to deal with Moscow, taking a hard line on Russia’s human rights and intentions in Eastern and Central Europe, while keeping an open channel to the Kremlin on other issues.
But their starting position is complicated, they say, especially given Putin’s experience in his dealings with Trump, who frequently undermines his own administration’s insane attitude toward Russia by privately trying to receive the Russian leader. . Trump was also ill-prepared for calls from foreign leaders, ignoring warnings from staff, limiting those who could hear calls, and especially after calls with Putin, telling very few aides what had been discussed.
“It’s hard, but it’s achievable,” said Daniel Fried, the US ambassador to Poland and deputy secretary of state for European affairs in the George W. Bush administration. “He’ll have to find out on the go, but it’s important to watch New START without hesitation and push back Navalny’s arrest and other innocent issues.”
“He has to do both and not let Putin tell them he won’t accept New START unless he gives up Navalny, SolarWinds or Afghanistan,” said Fried, who is now in the Atlantic Council. “You have to push back and you can’t let Putin set the terms.”
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Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov from Moscow contributed to this report.