WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden had his first call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, raising concerns about the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny while lobbying the Russian president about his country’s involvement in a massive cyber espionage campaign. and rewards for American troops in Afghanistan, said two senior administration officials.
Biden sought to establish a sharp break with the warm rhetoric often displayed towards Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. But the new president also sought to preserve space for diplomacy, telling the Russian leader that the two nations should finalize a five-year extension to an arms control treaty before it expires early next month, according to officials, who they were familiar with the appeal but not authorized to discuss it publicly.
Unlike his immediate predecessors, Biden has no hope of a “restart” in relations with Russia, but instead, he has indicated that he wants to manage differences with the former Cold War enemy without necessarily resolving them or improving ties. . And, with a heavy domestic agenda and imminent decisions about Iran and China, a direct confrontation with Russia is not something he seeks.
Moscow contacted last week to request the call, according to authorities. Biden agreed, but first wanted to prepare with his team and speak to European allies, including the leaders of Britain, France and Germany.
And on Tuesday, before his connection with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, promising the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression.
Biden told Putin that his government was assessing the SolarWinds breach and media claims that Russia offered rewards to the Taliban for killing American troops in Afghanistan. Biden said the United States is willing to defend itself and will take steps, which may include new sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, according to government officials.
The reading of the Kremlin connection was not available immediately.
The call came while Putin considers the consequences of the pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend. Biden’s team has already responded strongly to the crackdown on protests, in which more than 3,700 people have been arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. More protests are planned for next weekend.
Navalny, an anti-corruption activist and Putin’s fiercest critic, was arrested on January 17 on his way back from Germany to Russia, where he spent nearly five months recovering from a nervous agent poisoning he attributes to the Kremlin. Biden had already condemned the use of chemical weapons.
Russian officials deny the charges.
Trump has always been in love with Putin and sought his approval, often casting doubt on Russian interference in the 2016 elections, including when he stood beside Putin at the 2018 summit in Helsinki. He also downplayed Russia’s involvement in hacking federal government agencies last year and claims that Russia offered rewards to the Taliban.
Despite this conciliatory approach, his government followed a hard line against Moscow, imposing sanctions on the country, Russian companies and business leaders on issues ranging from Ukraine to energy supplies and attacks on dissidents.
Biden, in his connection with Putin, abruptly broke with Trump by declaring that he knew that Russia tried to interfere in the 2016 and 2020 elections. But he also emphasized the need to extend the New START, the last arms control treaty between the US and Russia, which is due to expire in early February. US officials have expressed confidence in reaching an agreement, which would provide transparency to each nation’s nuclear arsenal.
Biden told reporters on Monday that he hopes the US and Russia can cooperate in areas where both see benefits.
“I think we can operate in the mutual interest of our countries as a new START agreement and make it clear to Russia that we are very concerned about their behavior, whether it’s Navalny, SolarWinds or reports of head rewards for Americans in Afghanistan,” said Biden.
Biden’s approach has been endorsed by some former US diplomats who have dealt with Russia and are eager to see how Biden’s team, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his nominee to be number 3 in the State Department , Victoria Nuland, outlines the outlines of Russian politics.
Nuland, who occupied Europe’s portfolio at the State Department in President Barack Obama’s second term, is insulted by Putin and his advisers in particular for his support for pro-Western politicians in Ukraine. She and Sullivan share opinions on how to deal with Moscow, taking a tough stance on Russia’s human rights and intentions in central and eastern Europe, while maintaining an open channel with the Kremlin on other issues.
But their initial position is complicated, they say, especially due to Putin’s experience in dealing with Trump, who has often undermined his own government’s aggressive stance on Russia, in particular trying to please the Russian leader. Trump was also often ill-prepared for calls from foreign leaders, ignoring warnings from the team, limiting those who could hear the calls and, especially after calls with Putin, telling a few advisers what was discussed.
“It is difficult, but it is doable,” said Daniel Fried, US ambassador to Poland and assistant secretary of state for European affairs under the George W. Bush administration. “They will have to find this out on the spot, but it is important to seek the New START without hesitation and postpone Navalny’s arrest and other matters without guilt.”
“They need to do both and not allow Putin to tell them that they will not accept the New START unless they leave Navalny, SolarWinds or Afghanistan,” said Fried, who is now at the Atlantic Council. “You have to step back and you can’t let Putin define the terms.”