WASHINGTON, March 30, 2022 (BSS/TASS) - A meeting between Russian
President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden is possible only
after a significant de-escalation in Ukraine, White House Director of
Communications Kate Bedingfield told reporters on Tuesday.

   "He said yesterday that he would be willing to meet with President Putin
again or talk to him," she said. "I'm not going to set preconditions for a
conversation between President Biden and President Putin, except to say that
we have been very clear and President Biden has been very clear that there
needs to be tangible de-escalation from Russia and a clear, genuine
commitment to diplomacy."

   On Monday, Biden said a new personal meeting with Putin was possible,
adding that prospects for such talks would depend on their agenda.

   Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24 said in an early morning
televised address that he had launched a special military operation in
Ukraine in response to a request for help from the leaders of the Donbass
republics. He stressed that Moscow had no intention of occupying Ukrainian
territories, the sole purpose of the operation, the leader stressed, is the
demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. Western countries responded
to the actions of the Russian authorities by slapping sanctions against
physical and legal entities.

   On March 3, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called sanctions "a
kind of tax on independency." He expressed confidence that the situation
around Ukraine will be settled and "a solution will be found."