Russian Negotiators Blame Biden for Putin's Ukraine Invasion

Russian negotiators at peace talks in Abu Dhabi said President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine because then-US President Joe Biden did not respond to a December 2021 letter outlining Russia's security demands, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. The claim, which supports Donald Trump's narrative that the war would not have happened under his leadership, contradicts the record. The US and NATO formally replied to Russia on January 26, 2022, offering arms control talks but rejecting Moscow's key demand for a permanent ban on Ukraine joining NATO and withdrawal of allied forces to 1997 positions. US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed Russia draft a new plan addressing its security concerns while outlining "symmetrical steps" for de-escalation. They insisted European representatives must participate in future talks, but Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky dismissed European leaders as contributing to "mass dying of civilians," though he expressed interest in a broader security agreement with Europe.