The call, which occurred midday, amounted to Biden's opening bid at diplomacy with one of his chief adversaries, whom he has met previously but not dealt with as an equal. Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki said he entered the phone call with the intention of discussing the New START nuclear treaty, which the Biden administration hopes to extend; Russian aggression in Ukraine; the Solarwinds cyber hack, the extent of which is still being determined; reports Russia placed bounties on American troops serving in Afghanistan; Moscow's interference in US presidential elections; and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. "His intention was also to make clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of our national interests in response to malign actions by Russia," Psaki said, noting the call had taken place during her briefing and that a more fulsome summary would come later. The lengthy list of topics for Biden's first conversation with Putin illustrates the troubled state of affairs between Washington and Moscow that he inherited from the previous administration. Biden has accused his predecessor, President Donald Trump, of being too weak on Russia, accusing him of being "Putin's puppy" during one of their general election debates.

Source: The Nation January 26, 2021 20:03 UTC