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Biden offers to have summit with Putin

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – US President Joe Biden has offered to have a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, amid rising tensions over Russia’s buildup of troops close to Ukraine’s eastern border and Crimea, the Washington Times reports. Moscow has acknowledged the offer of a summit.

Expressing unwavering US support for Ukraine, President Biden has already asked the Kremlin to reduce the number of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border. Russia has said the 40,000 troops are on a training exercise near the Ukrainian border.

However, analysts have suggested the buildup could be an effort by Moscow to support pro-Russian separatists fighting against the Ukrainian government, the Washington Times said. The Ukrainian separatists want a higher level of local autonomy for the country’s Russian-speaking population than their government is willing to give them.

With no signs of tensions easing as yet, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have met with their Western European counterparts at the NATO headquarters in Belgium, for talks on how to deal with Russia’s actions, the Examiner said.

White House officials have stated President Biden suggested a personal meeting with President Putin in a third country in the coming months, in order for the two leaders to discuss the issues affecting the relationship between their respective countries.