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US President Joe Biden: "Hope and Expectation"
Photo: Alex Edelman - Pool Via Cnp / imago images / ZUMA Wire
On his first trip abroad to Europe next month, US President Joe Biden is hoping for the summit he has proposed with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
"That's my hope and expectation," Biden said in the White House.
"We're working on it."
So far, Putin had kept the decision on such a top-level meeting open.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov accused the United States of "taking hostile steps" on state television on Thursday.
That is why it is difficult to accept a possible summit.
Biden had already proposed a summit to Putin in a phone call in mid-April.
According to the White House, the aim of the summer meeting in a European third country should be "to discuss the full range of issues facing the United States and Russia."
Several EU countries have already offered to host.
Countries imposed sanctions on each other
Shortly after Biden's summit proposal, the US expelled ten Russian diplomats and imposed new sanctions in retaliation for hacker attacks attributed to Moscow and meddling in US elections.
Russia responded by expelling ten US diplomats and imposing sanctions on the US.
In addition, the government in Moscow issued an entry ban for high-ranking US government officials.
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Is still reluctant to hold a summit with the United States: Russian President Vladimir Putin
Photo: Alexei Druzhinin / dpa
In an interview previously, the US president had already answered yes to the question of whether he considered Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to be a “murderer”.
Biden has repeatedly emphasized that he does not want an escalation with Russia, but that Moscow's actions have consequences.
Biden, who has been in office since January 20, had already announced a tougher course towards Russia during the election campaign.
His first trip abroad will take the US President to the G7 summit (June 11-13) in Great Britain and to the top NATO meeting (June 14) in Belgium.
A top-level meeting with the EU is also planned in Brussels.
With the trip, Biden wants to underline his goal of reviving transatlantic relations and cooperation with allies.
hba / dpa