Russia Blames Biden for Ukraine Invasion in New Justification

Russian officials at Abu Dhabi talks claimed Putin launched the invasion because former US President Joe Biden did not respond to his 2021 letter, adding a new justification for the war. The claim was reported by Axios citing two sources familiar with the negotiations. The December 2021 letter contained Kremlin ultimatums demanding NATO halt expansion, including Ukraine's membership, and withdraw forces to 1997 positions. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff responded that the world has changed significantly since 2021, proposing a new draft with Moscow's demands and "symmetric steps" for de-escalation. Russia has shifted war justifications since 2022, from "demilitarization" and "denazification" to fighting the "collective West," pseudo-historical claims about Ukraine, and most recently blaming the West's lack of response to Putin's 2007 Munich speech. The Biden version echoes Trump's rhetoric blaming his predecessor for the war.