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Russia’s sanction against Biden doesn’t mean contacts out of the question, says Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not talked with his US counterpart after the launch of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Moscow’s move to sanction US President Joe Biden does not mean that Russia refuses to hold contacts with the United States, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"These sanctions don’t mean a refusal to hold contacts," he pointed out. "Contacts can resume if need be," Peskov added.

He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not talked with his US counterpart after the launch of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced sanctions against a number of US officials. In response to similar restrictions introduced by Washington, Moscow imposed an entry ban on US President Joe Biden and another 12 government officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, CIA Director William Burns, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and the US leader’s son Hunter Biden. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that Moscow would soon expand the list of persons barred from entering Russia.

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