“Mutual Hostility”
The Kremlin removed Biden from the list of New Year’s greetings

December 26, 2022, 18:30

While the President of Ukraine wants to make India a peace mediator, Kremlin head Putin continues to rely on China’s head of state Xi. Relations between Moscow and Washington are now so cold that the Kremlin has removed Joe Biden from the list of New Year’s wishes.

Kremlin head Vladimir Putin has removed US President Joe Biden from his New Year’s wish list. “We are currently so hostile that there will definitely be no congratulations,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia’s Interfax news agency. According to Interfax, Peskov did not clarify whether the heads of state and government of other countries that Russia has classified as hostile or hostile due to sanctions should wait in vain for congratulations from Moscow on the New Year.

However, according to the Kremlin, the Russian president wants to speak with China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping ahead of the turn of the year. “In fact, such a contact is being prepared,” Peskow confirmed. The 55-year-old would not reveal anything about the format of the talk – a phone call or a private meeting. Relations between the two countries are considered good, even though Russia is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine. In contrast to the talks with Xi, the Kremlin has said it is not seeking contact with the West. Peskov denied that a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron was planned in the next few days.

Xi Jinping and Putin last met privately in September on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Chinese head of state also received Putin’s predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev, in Beijing last week. China has officially spoken out in favor of a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine war, but has neither condemned it nor joined Western sanctions against Russia.

Selenskyj wants to win over India to the “peace formula”.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes for India’s assistance in implementing his peace formula. He also thanked India for its humanitarian aid and support at the United Nations, Zelenskyi wrote on Twitter after a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Selenskyj wanted to define his peace formula, intended to govern the postwar order, at a peace summit. However, as a prerequisite, Kyiv demands the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

India, the world’s second most populous country, was neutral in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine because of its close ties to the West and Russia. It also does not support Western sanctions and has repeatedly advocated resolving the conflict through dialogue. Recently, India bought relatively cheaper oil from Russia. New Delhi also relies heavily on Moscow for its military equipment and spare parts.

The Indian presidency of the group of large industrial and developing nations (G20) was also an issue during the call. Modi said addressing the food and energy security issues of developing countries was his country’s priority, Modi’s office said.