MOSCOW. June 16 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will certainly take account of the positive rhetoric coming from European countries regarding the need for dialogue with Moscow during his talks with U.S. President Joe Biden, but the Kremlin also takes note of their remarks that it is necessary to communicate with Russia through containment and pressure, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
When asked in an interview with Channel One how the Americans' negotiating positions are changing following Biden's talks with European leaders and the NATO allies of the U.S., Peskov said, "This isn't changing the Americans' negotiating positions in any way. On the contrary, clear signals have been sent to Moscow in the run-up to the Russian-American talks, there has also been rhetoric about the need for dialogue, which is indisputably a positive development, and the [Russian] president will certainly take this positive aspect into account."
At the same time, "there still remain some undertones in favor of the need to communicate with Moscow through containment, through pressure, etc.," he said.
"We keep hearing the words that Moscow will have to pay for this and for that. Of course, this doesn't ease the general atmosphere. But, once again, I repeat that both sides, both President Putin and President Biden, have the intention to talk," Peskov said.
It is necessary to start talking in order to clarify to what extent the views of the Russian and U.S. leaders differ, to what extent the two countries' disagreements are critical, he said.
"And this will happen today," Peskov said.