Russia Blames Biden for Ukraine Invasion in Abu Dhabi Talks

Russian officials at Abu Dhabi talks claimed Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine because former US President Joe Biden did not respond to his 2021 letter, adding another justification for the war, Axios reported. The Russian delegation cited Putin's December 2021 ultimatum demanding NATO halt expansion and withdraw forces to 1997 positions. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff responded that the world has changed since then, proposing a new document with Moscow's demands and symmetric de-escalation steps. Moscow has shifted its war narratives over time, from "demilitarization" and "denazification" in 2022 to claims of fighting the "collective West" and pseudo-historical arguments about Ukraine. Putin also recently linked the war to the West's alleged lack of response to his 2007 Munich speech.