Russia has accused the U.S. of interfering with its domestic affairs, but the Russian president might still be open to speaking to U.S. President Joe Biden.
If the new U.S. administration demonstrated a willingness to speak, President Vladimir Putin would respond in kind, a Kremlin spokesman said on Sunday, while also accusing Washington of interfering in mass demonstrations in favor of detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
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On Saturday, the U.S. strongly denounced "the use of harsh ways to oppose protesters and journalists in cities across Russia this weekend" and referred to the release of those detained.
In solidarity with Navalny, arrested when he returned to Moscow last weekend after months of treatment in Germany for near-fatal poisoning, tens of thousands of people took to the streets.
More than 3,500 protesters were arrested in protests across the country, with some wounded in clashes with police in Moscow.
In the United States, before the demonstrations, A "Demonstration Alert" was released by the Moscow Embassy, urging U.S. people to stop protests and identifying the venues in Russian cities where demonstrators were preparing to assemble.
"Of course, those publications are inappropriate," according to Interfax news agency, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Rossiya 1 T.V. on Sunday.
The Russian foreign ministry immediately rebuked the condemnation by the U.S.
Also, however, Peskov struck a different conciliatory tone and mentioned that Russia could arrange a dialogue with the Biden administration, which vowed to restore a coalition of European allies opposed to the Kremlin.
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In addition to its assistance to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its interference in Libya's civil struggle, the U.S. has consistently denounced Russia's support for Ukrainian separatists.
Furthermore, U.S. intelligence officers accuse Russian brokers of trying to interfere with the country's 2016 presidential election by hacking, manipulating social media, and the publication of ill-attained information intended to damage then-candidate Hillary Clinton.
"Biden, who recounted telling Putin "I don't think you're going to have a soul" and referred to Russia as "the greatest threat" to U.S. security, promised to take a more lasting line than former U.S. President Donald Trump in opposition to "autocrats like Putin.
"Biden also criticized Navalny's poisoning on the marketing campaign route, saying it was evidence that Russia is "so paranoid that it is unable to accept any criticism or dissent.
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After Biden's election win, the Kremlin remained conspicuously quiet, with Putin becoming one of the final world leaders to congratulate him.
After Biden's election win, the Kremlin remained conspicuously quiet, with Putin becoming one of the final world leaders to congratulate him.
Putin as one of the last world leaders to congratulate Biden on his victory after the Nov. 3 vote in the U.S. presidential election.
The weapons reduction deal, known as New START, set to expire on Feb. 5, is one of the burning issues to be addressed by the two nuclear powers.
Last week, the White House said Biden would pursue a five-year extension to the deal, which calls for reducing the number of nuclear missile launchers. The Kremlin said it "welcomes" the proposal, but added that on the specifics, "all will depend."
