Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is “ready to work further” with the West on security issues to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine, but emphasized the need for the West to heed Russia’s main demands.
He spoke on Tuesday during a news conference following talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Moscow.
Scholz said at the briefing that he agrees with Russia’s assessment that there is still a chance to avert war over Ukraine and that “diplomatic options are far from exhausted”.
Meanwhile, some troops in Russia’s military districts adjacent to Ukraine returned to their bases after completing drills, Russia’s defense ministry was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying, a move that could de-escalate friction between Moscow and the West.
But later on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden cast doubt on Moscow’s claims of a partial withdrawal, saying that Russian troops near Ukraine remain in a “threatening position”.
Biden attempting to ‘grease the wheels of diplomacy: AJE correspondent
Al Jazeera correspondent Mike Hanna said Biden went “out of his way” during his remarks on Tuesday to stress that diplomacy is still Washington’s preferred option to resolve the crisis with Russia.
Hanna underscored Biden’s assertion to Russians that NATO and Ukraine do not pose a threat to their country.
“There had been increasing fears about the level of rhetoric being exposed by both sides,” Hanna said. “However, this [is] an attempt perhaps to begin to damp down that rhetoric, to begin to attempt to grease the wheels of diplomacy.”
https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1493683646615756801
Invading Ukraine would be a ‘self-inflicted wound’ for Russia: Biden
Biden has warned Russia that an invasion of Ukraine would be a “self-inflicted wound”.
“If Russia does invade in the days or weeks ahead, the human cost for Ukraine will be immense. And the strategic cost for Russia will also be immense,” Biden said.
“The world will not forget that Russia chose needless death and destruction; invading Ukraine will prove to be a self-inflicted wound,” he added.
https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1493691006042181638
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