MOSCOW, December 31. /TASS/. Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden agreed to continue contacts next year and the exact date will depend on progress at the security talks, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov told reporters.
"The presidents, very importantly, agreed to continue the dialogue in the new year," Ushakov said.
The latest talks were "good, constructive and candid" and set a good tone for the negotiations in Geneva on January 9-10, he said. There are two other tracks for the talks: Russia-NATO in Brussels and Russia-OSCE in Vienna, he said.
Next talks
The president agreed to stay in contact by phone as they supervise the Geneva and the other talks, Ushakov said. "They will talk as need be and will instruct their teams," he said.
He said he was unaware when Putin and Biden will talk next. It’s quite possible the need for a conversation will arise immediately after January 10, he said.
Number of meetings
Putin said Russia attaches great importance to the talks but they shouldn’t descend into meaningless chatter, according to Ushakov. Russia is looking for a concrete result and will draw conclusions about the talks after several meetings, he said.
Bilateral talks
The Kremlin believes it’s important to hold bilateral talks with the US, even as the US wants to consult with its allies, Ushakov said. The aide said Biden reacted affirmatively.