Russia accuses US of rejecting dialogue offer between Putin, Biden

The diplomatic impasse between Moscow and Washington is turning ugly after the former on Monday accused the latter of rebuffing an offer of online dialogue between the two sides' leaders.

“We note with regret that the American side has not supported (Russian President Vladimir Putin’s) proposal to hold talks with U.S President Biden...to discuss problems that have built up in bilateral relations and also the theme around strategic (nuclear) stability,” Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It added that “another opportunity” to end the deadlock in Russian-US relations “has been missed,” holding Washington responsible for it.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week offered direct talks with his US counterpart following Biden’s controversial comments about his Russian counterpart in a television interview, which marked a new low in their bilateral ties.

The US President, when asked whether he thought Putin is a killer, said, he does. “(Putin) will pay a price,” Biden said in the interview, prompting strong reactions from Kremlin.

In response to Biden’s remarks, Putin reacted furiously, saying “it takes one to know one," and adding that the children's taunt had a “very deep meaning.”

Moscow also recalled its envoy to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, for consultations on how to address the worsening diplomatic standoff with the US.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beijing on Monday for talks with Chinese officials as the two countries step up efforts to counter the Biden administration's hawkish policies toward them.

Lavrov’s visit to China was announced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, who denied that the two countries were ganging up against the US and its allies.

“... We don’t target any third party. We are always above board. We are not acting like other countries to gang up against others, plotting or other ulterior motives,” she stated.

Prior to his arrival in China, the top Russian diplomat told reporters that the US and its allies were trying to impose their diktats on other countries and block the creation of a multipolar democratic world.

"Unfortunately, some of the Western countries, led by the United States, are trying to obstruct the establishment of the true multipolar democratic world, attempting to maintain at any cost their dominance in the global economy and international politics, and to obtrude upon everyone their will and demands," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.

Chunying endorsed the Russian diplomat’s remarks on the US, saying, “Lavrov really hit the mark. The more the unstable world is, it is necessary for China and Russia to work together.”

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