Washington: US President Joe Biden spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, local time, for the first time since taking office and raised concerns about Russian activities including the treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the White House said.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced the phone call between the two leaders at her daily briefing. It came as Biden adjusts US policy in a more robust way toward Russia after his predecessor, Donald Trump, refused to take on Putin directly.
US President Joe Biden.Credit:AP
At the same time, Biden sought to repair the strained alliance between the United States and Europe by stressing in a phone call to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Washington would abide by the NATO treaty’s mutual defence pact.
“President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to collective defence under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and underscored his commitment to strengthening transatlantic security,” a White House statement said.
