U.S. Will 'Never' Recognize Russian Claims On Ukraine  — State Department

Washington on Friday made it clear that the potential discussion between President Biden and President Putin is nothing more than a hypothetical at this time, as conditions for such discussions currently do not exist, TURAN's U.S. correspondent reports.

"... The Russians have made it very clear that of course they are not in the mood for constructive dialogue and for constructive diplomacy," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told a daily press briefing when responding to TURAN's questions.

A day after President Joe Biden said he would be willing to talk with Putin about a possible peace agreement in Ukraine, the Kremlin offered a frosty response, saying the West must recognise Moscow's declared annexation in September of "new territories" before any talks with Putin.

"We have been very clear that the United States and countries around the world will never – never, never, never – recognize territory that Russia has illegally annexed either in 2014 or, more recently, as part of its illegal and now brutal aggression against Ukraine," Price said in response.

According to him, the U.S. would continue providing military assistance to Ukraine with the aim of forcing Russia into genuine peace talks.

"Together with our partners and our allies, we’re focused on holding Russia accountable for their actions, on supporting Ukraine as they defend themselves against this Russian aggression, and on mitigating the impacts of President Putin’s war on the rest of the world," he said.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.