The summit between the presidents of the United States and Russia began at 4 pm, Joe Biden e Vladimir Putin. These are the first virtual bilateral, via video link. The situation in Ukraine is at the center of the talks.
The US could enter the Minsk agreements
The entry of the USA in the Normandy format (France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine) rethinking the peace process foreseen by the Minsk II accords of February 2015: it is one of the cards that Joe Biden could play in the video call with Vladimir Putin to defuse the crisis ukraine, second Foreign Affairs.
The agreements have stalled, Kiev and Moscow have been arguing for years over who should take the first step in the agreement, which provides for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Donbass in exchange for greater autonomy for the pro-Russian eastern regions. “One possible way out of this impasse would be to rethink the Minsk agreements and replace them with a process that includes the United States as a full participant,” writes the magazine. A move that could help Kiev feel less threatened by Moscow and guarantee Russia a direct dialogue with Washington and greater attention on the European chessboard.
Moreover, even in the round of consultations yesterday between Biden and the European allies it emerged that the common assessment that “diplomacy, especially through the Normandy format, is the only way to go forward and resolve the conflict in Donbass through the implementation of Minsk agreements “.
Biden will report to Draghi and allies
After his interview with Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden will report to the leaders of Italy, the UK, Germany and France. This was reported in a tweet by Jennifer Jacobs, correspondent from the Bloomberg White House.
Biden to Putin: “Happy to see you again”
During the virtual bilateral summit that began today at 4pm, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that he was happy to see him again. “Glad to see you again,” Biden said with a smile at the start of the videoconference interviews, as he reports Ria Novosti. “Last time we didn’t get to see each other at the G20, I hope next time we’ll meet in person,” Biden added. “Good evening Mr. President” was Putin’s greeting. The video of the first minutes of the conversation between the two presidents was released by the Kremlin. During the G20 leaders’ summit in Rome on October 30-31, Putin participated only by videoconference.
Putin contacted his American counterpart from his Sochi residence. The meeting will last “as long as necessary,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Biden-Putin: a virtual summit to avert the attack on Ukraine
by our correspondent Paolo Mastrolilli
The Ukrainian question
At the center of the talks there is first and foremost Ukraine. Russia, according to the Washington Post, it would be ready to invade the country in January with 175 thousand troops – from which in 2014 it has already stolen Crimea and where it supports the Donbass separatists militarily and politically.
Ukraine besieged by the Russians. US services: “Here is the evidence”
by Tonia Mastrobuoni, Paolo Mastrolilli
The United States has already warned that, in the event of a Russian invasion, it is ready to hit Moscow with harsh economic sanctions, which could affect the banks and the ability to convert rubles into dollars.
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