Putin, Biden did not agree format of dialogue on security guarantees — Kremlin spokesman

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden at their virtual talks on December 7 did not agree on a format for discussing the issue of security guarantees and red lines Russia finds unacceptable, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Thursday. "This is so," Peskov said in reply to a corresponding question. "The point at issue was the two countries would appoint their representatives for discussing these issues," Peskov said while commenting on media reports Biden had promised a high-level meeting of Russian, US and European officials for discussing this subject. Putin earlier called upon NATO to enter into meaningful negotiations with the aim of giving Russia "reliable and long-term security guarantees." Moscow will be insisting in its dialogue with Washington and its allies "on producing concrete agreements" that would rule out NATO’s further eastward expansion or the deployment near Russian territory of weapon systems threatening its security, Putin said. He stressed Russia needed "legal, juridical guarantees, because the Western counterparts have defaulted on their previous verbal pledges." Putin and Biden on December 7 held two hours of negotiations on a video call to focus on Ukraine, bilateral relations, cybersecurity and the Iranian nuclear deal. Read more