Putin snubs Biden offer of peace talks

Russia wants US to ‘recognise new territories’

RUSSIA has demanded that the West recognises illegally annexed regions of Ukraine before Joe Biden’s proposed peace talks can go ahead.

Moscow was put under the spotlight after the US President said he would be willing to negotiate if Vladimir Putin showed he was serious about ending the conflict.

But Putin’s attack dogs dismissed the idea, saying the US conditions ‘did not recognise new territories’.

Mr Biden’s comments came during a state visit by French president Emmanuel Macron to the US, earlier this week. He said: ‘I’m prepared to speak with Mr Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he’s looking for a way to end the war.’

President Biden has not spoken directly with Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

After more than nine months of fighting and winter tightening its grip, Western countries are trying to boost aid for Ukraine. Russian missile and drone attacks have targeted key energy infrastructure, leaving millions without heating, electricity and water.

Yesterday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would ‘certainly’ not hold diplomatic talks over the US’s conditions.

‘What did President Biden say in fact?’ said Peskov, adding: ‘He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves

Ukraine. The special military operation is continuing.’

Peskov said Putin was ready for talks to ensure Russia’s interests are respected, but added

‘Military op is continuing’

Washington’s stance ‘complicates’ any possible talks.

‘The United States does not recognise new territories as part of the Russian Federation,’ Peskov said, referring to Ukrainian regions the Kremlin claims to have annexed. In September, Moscow held sham referendums in four regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia – and said residents voted in favour of becoming subjects of Russia.

But the United Nations condemned the ‘attempted illegal annexation’ of Ukrainian land. After refusing to enter talks with the US on their terms, Putin had since spoken to the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Putin

told him that Moscow’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure were ‘inevitable’.

It comes after social media channel General SVR – which claims to have links to Putin’s bodyguards – reported that he had fallen down stairs at his Moscow residence on Wednesday while also suffering from ‘gastrointestinal cancer’.

But it had no proof of the incident, nor of any connection to the Russian president’s staff.