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Putin may warn Biden against provocations ahead of Geneva talks, expert says

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Joe Biden of the United States are expected to hold a phone call at 11:30 pm Moscow time on Thursday

MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin in his upcoming phone call with US President Joe Biden may warn Washington against provocations, particularly involving Ukraine, ahead of the Russian-US talks on security guarantees that are scheduled to take place in Geneva on January 10, Chairman of the Board of the Valdai International Discussion Club’s Development and Support Foundation Andrey Bystritsky told TASS on Thursday.

"Perhaps, the Russian leader would like to clarify his position ahead of the January talks and make it clear that any provocations on the part of Ukraine, particularly ahead of the negotiations, are unacceptable as they may seriously complicate the talks," the analyst pointed out.

According to him, Putin may have initiated a phone call with Biden out of the need "to set clear boundaries" for the January talks. "It is necessary so that our partners have enough time before January 10 to figure out what they should do and say," the expert explained. "It’s crucial to prevent any actions that would exacerbate the situation ahead of the talks," Bystritsky added.

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Joe Biden of the United States are expected to hold a phone call at 11:30 pm Moscow time on Thursday. It will be the second conversation between the two presidents this month. Putin and Biden held a two-hour video call on December 7. On January 10, Geneva will host Russian-US talks on security guarantees.

On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a draft agreement on security guarantees between Russia and the United States and a draft agreement on ensuring the security of Russia and NATO member states. The documents were handed over to US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried on December 15.

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