Russia Opens Dialogue With US Amid Tensions After Putin Talks About Arms Supply To North Korea

Russian President Vladimir Putin/Kristina Kormilitsyna/POOL/TASS

JAKARTA - Russia said there was an urgent need to carry out security negotiations with the United States (US). However, these negotiations must be carried out "comprehensively" and cover the topic of Ukraine.

"It's impossible to remove a single part of the whole complex problem, and we're not going to do this," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked if Moscow was ready to talk to Washington about the nuclear risk.

"So we are open to dialogue, but for a broad comprehensive dialogue that covers all dimensions, including the latest dimensions related to the conflict around Ukraine, regarding the US's direct involvement in this conflict," Peskov told reporters.

The United States rejects Russia's view that by arming Ukraine, the US has become a direct protagonist in a war aimed at creating a devastating "strategic defeat" against Moscow.

The US says any negotiations on war are Ukraine's business.

Russia's attitude, as outlined by Peskov, is nothing new. But he said the list of topics that Russia and the United States need to discuss is increasing.

"Overall, this dialogue is indispensable," Peskov said. This is necessary because of the accumulating problems, and there are many issues associated with the global security architecture.

From Washington's point of view, Putinlah, who, in the third year of the war in Ukraine, added to the list of security concerns.

This week, Putin visited North Korea with nuclear weapons, signing a joint defense agreement with its leader Kim Jong Un and said Russia might supply weapons to North Korea in response to Western action that armed Ukraine.

Putin also reiterated that on Thursday, June 20, he was considering reviewing Russia's doctrines regarding the use of nuclear weapons.

The last arms control agreement that limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads that Russia and the United States can deploy will end in 2026.