MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. There are no specific plans for a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Joe Biden of the United States yet, but it is possible provided that the leaders deem it appropriate, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.
"There are no concrete plans in that regard yet," the presidential press secretary noted speaking of the prospects for a possible Russian-US summit. "There is the understanding that contacts will be held at the level of foreign ministers. We proceed from the fact that [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov is likely to meet with his US counterpart [Antony Blinken] this week. We also do not exclude contacts between the ministers of Russia and France."
"Surely, we do not rule it out, and if necessary, of course, the presidents of Russia and the United States can at any time decide on contacts either by phone or in person. That will be their decision," Peskov said.
Focusing on the statement by the Elysee Palace that Putin and Biden accepted the proposal of French President Emmanuel Macron to hold a summit on security and strategic stability in Europe, Peskov specified that "a substantive agreement has been reached that it is necessary to continue [contacts] at the ministerial level." "It's too early to talk about any specific plans for arranging any summits," he stressed.
Responding to a follow-up question whether the phrase "a substantive agreement" means a high probability of a summit, the Kremlin spokesman pointed out that "a meeting is possible provided that the heads of state deem it appropriate." "Now there is a clear, concrete understanding of the need to continue the dialogue at the ministerial level," Peskov highlighted.