New Year's greetings: Putin crosses Biden off his list

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Vladimir Putin (in St. Petersburg on December 26): No New Year greetings to Joe Biden

Photo: ALEXEI DANICHEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA

No polite greetings to Joe Biden: Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has removed US President Joe Biden from his list for New Year's greetings.

"We are currently so deeply in mutual animosity that there will certainly be no congratulations," Russian news agency Interfax quoted Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Monday.

According to Interfax, Peskov did not say whether other heads of states that Russia has classified as unfriendly or hostile due to sanctions will not receive Happy New Year greetings from Moscow.

By the turn of the year, Russia's president wants to talk to China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping.

"Indeed, such a contact is being prepared," confirmed Peskov.

He did not want to reveal anything about the format of the talks, whether a telephone call or a personal meeting.

Relations between the two countries are considered good, despite the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Unlike with Xi, the Kremlin says it is not seeking contact with the West.

ipp/dpa