We Need To Talk; Ukraine Must Be On Agenda – Russia Tells US

Russia wants discussions with the United States, but they must be “comprehensive” and cover the issue of Ukraine, the Kremlin stated on Friday, June 21.

“It is impossible to rip out any individual segments from the general complex of accumulated problems, and we will not do this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked if Moscow was ready to talk to Washington about nuclear risks.

“So we are open to dialogue, but to a broad comprehensive dialogue that covers all dimensions, including the current dimension related to the conflict around Ukraine, related to the direct involvement of the USA in this conflict,” Peskov told reporters.

The United States insists that any peace talks must be based on Ukraine’s wishes.

The United States denies Russia’s claim that by equipping Ukraine, it has become a direct actor in a war aimed at delivering a crushing “strategic defeat” to Moscow.

Peskov told reporters that the list of issues Russia and the United States needed to discuss was expanding.

“Overall, this dialogue is very much required,”

“It is needed because problems are piling up, and there are a lot of problems associated with the global security architecture.”

However, the US blames Russia for starting the Ukraine war, which is still ongoing over three years later.

Also this week, President Putin paid a visit to nuclear-armed North Korea, signed a mutual defence agreement with its leader Kim Jong Un, and stated that he may transfer Russian weapons to North Korea in response to the Western arming of Ukraine.

Putin also stated on Thursday that he is considering revisiting Russia’s nuclear doctrine.

The final surviving arms control deal, which limits the amount of strategic nuclear warheads that Russia and the US can deploy, is set to expire in 2026.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli