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Russian leader Vladimir Putin (right) shakes hands with then US Vice-President Joe Biden during their meeting in Moscow in March 2011. Photo: AFP

Politico | On first call with Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden raises election interference, bounties and Navalny poisoning

  • The US president struck a decidedly different tone from Trump, who was criticised for his relatively soft rhetoric toward Russia
  • The extension of a nuclear treaty between the superpowers and the suspected Russian SolarWinds hack were also on the agenda
Joe Biden

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Ben Leonard on politico.com on January 26, 2021.

US President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing US objections to a variety of Kremlin actions, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki told reporters at Tuesday’s press briefing that the call was scheduled to take place as she was behind the podium fielding press questions.

Biden called intending to raise concern about a suspected Russian SolarWinds hacking campaign that breached Justice Department email accounts, reports of Russian bounties reportedly placed on American troops and interference in the 2020 election, Psaki said. The president also intended to raise his concerns about the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the Kremlin’s recent treatment of peaceful protesters demonstrating in support of him, the press secretary said.

02:05

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny arrested and detained upon return to Russia after near-fatal poisoning

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny arrested and detained upon return to Russia after near-fatal poisoning

Biden also intended to support Ukrainian sovereignty and his goal of extending a nuclear arms treaty for five years with Russia, Psaki said.

The two leaders agreed to “work urgently” to extend the nuclear treaty by February 5, when the deal is slated to expire, according to the Biden administration’s readout of the call. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty limits the two nation’s deployed nuclear weapons to 1,550 each.

“They also agreed to explore strategic stability discussions on a range of arms control and emerging security issues,” the readout said.

Biden and Putin agreed to be transparent and communicate consistently, according to the readout.

Suspected Russian hackers used Microsoft vendors to breach customers

“His intention was also to make clear that the United States will act firmly in defence of our national interests in response to malign actions by Russia,” Psaki told reporters.

Biden’s agenda for his call with Putin struck a decidedly different tone than former President Donald Trump, who was the subject of significant criticism for his relatively soft rhetoric toward Russia, especially relative to his broader America-first approach to foreign policy. Trump routinely attempted to undermine widely accepted evidence about the Kremlin’s 2016 election interference, at one point telling reporters that he would take the Russian president’s word over that of the US intelligence community on the issue.

04:33

As Biden enters White House, world leaders express ‘relief’ and welcome ‘friend’ and ‘mate’ back

As Biden enters White House, world leaders express ‘relief’ and welcome ‘friend’ and ‘mate’ back

Biden has vowed to turn the page from the Trump administration on US-Russia relations and take a stronger stance against the Kremlin.

In April 2018, Trump blamed poor relations between the US and Russia on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential collusion between the Kremlin and Trump’s campaign. The investigation found no Trump-Russia conspiracy but established that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in “sweeping and systematic fashion.” Mueller’s report also found repeated communication between Trump associates and people who indicated they had potentially harmful information about Hillary Clinton.

On the large-scale hack into federal agencies uncovered in December - which intelligence agencies said was likely Russia’s doing - Trump baselessly suggested it may have been China. Biden has promised a forceful response to the campaign.

“My administration will make cybersecurity a top priority at every level of government,” Biden said in a statement, “and we will make dealing with this breach a top priority from the moment we take office.”

After less than a week in office, Biden has now been on calls with several prominent foreign leaders, including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico.

Biden has pledged to “restore dignified leadership at home and respected leadership on the world stage” in the wake of Trump’s foreign policy.

Read Politico’s story.

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