Biden Not Planning To Speak To Putin For Now, G7 Agrees Oil Price Cap

Highlights
U.S. President Joe Biden does not intend to speak to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, about ending the Ukraine war as conditions for such discussions currently do not exist, the White House said on Friday.
"We're just not at a point now where talks seem to be a fruitful avenue to approach right now," national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.
His comment underscored the chasm between Ukraine and its main backer and Russia on negotiations more than nine months into the war ignited by Putin's invasion that has killed tens of thousands, uprooted millions and destroyed cities and towns.
As part of a multi-pronged international campaign to curb Russia's ability to wage war, the Group of Seven (G7) nations and Australia on Friday said they had agreed a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil.
The G7 and Australia said in a statement the cap would take effect on Dec. 5 or very soon thereafter. It aims to reduce Russia's income from selling oil, while preventing a spike in global prices.
European Union governments, which have resolved their differences over the cap, will now need to formally approve it over the weekend.
The chair of the Russian lower house's foreign affairs committee, Leonid Slutsky, told Tass news agency the EU was jeopardising its own energy security with the cap.
Kyiv says peace talks are only possible if Russia halts its attacks and withdraws from all Ukrainian territories it seized.
But the Kremlin said the West must recognise Moscow's declared annexation in September of "new territories" before any talks with Putin.
"The president of the Russian Federation has always been, is and remains open to negotiations in order to ensure our interests," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States would continue providing military assistance to Ukraine with the aim of forcing Russia into genuine peace talks.
Mykhailo Podolyak, a political adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, told Reuters that Russia's offers of talks were "an illusion".
There was an "absolute consensus" among Western states, he said, that there could be no direct talks with Putin and that any negotiations with Moscow could be held only if it pulled out all its troops.
Ukraine and allies fear any ceasefire without a total withdrawal would let Russian forces recover from a string of losses and regroup.
Peskov said Russia would not pull out of Ukraine. He added that the search for ways to end the war was hindered by the U.S. refusal to recognise Russia's territorial annexations.
Biden has not spoken directly with Putin since the Feb. 24 invasion. In March, he branded Putin a "butcher" who "cannot stay in power". However, he has signalled in recent weeks that Washington would like to entice Putin onto a diplomatic off ramp, after months of battlefield losses.
SOME CONTACTS
Putin told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a phone call that the Western line on Ukraine was "destructive" and urged Berlin to rethink its approach, the Kremlin said.
In Berlin's readout on the call, Scholz's spokesperson said the chancellor had condemned Russian air strikes on civilian infrastructure and called for a diplomatic solution to the war "including a withdrawal of Russian troops."
Putin has said he has no regrets about launching what he calls a "special military operation" to disarm and "denazify" Ukraine. Ukraine and the West say Putin has no justification for what they cast as an imperial-style war of occupation.
Some contacts have been sustained between the sides. A deal that partially lifted a Russian naval blockade of Black Sea ports has allowed some grains shipments out of Ukraine, and another agreement on Russian fertilizers is in the works.
Several large prisoner of war swaps have occurred. Zelenskiy said on Friday that Russia had released 1,331 detainees so far.
But the fighting has persisted unabated in Ukraine's east and south.
With winter tightening its grip, Western countries are working to boost aid to help Ukraine withstand Russian missile and drone attacks.
In the east, the town of Bakhmut is now the main target of Moscow's artillery attacks.
ATTACKS
Three people were killed and seven wounded in Russian shelling of the Kherson region over the past 24 hours, the regional governor said on Friday.
The regional capital of Kherson - recaptured in mid-November - and other parts of the region were bombarded 42 times in the same period, Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said.
Meanwhile, Russian-installed officials in Donetsk said three people died on Friday after Ukrainian forces shelled the eastern Ukrainian city.
Reuters could not independently confirm battlefield reports.
In a grisly development, several Ukrainian embassies abroad received packages containing animal eyes, Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Friday.
Great Deals on Used Cars
View All Used Cars
- 66,264 km
- Diesel
- Manual

- 49,360 km
- Diesel
- Manual

- 2,322 km
- Petrol+CNG
- Manual

- 42,000 km
- Petrol+CNG
- Manual

- 74,440 km
- Petrol
- Manual

- 50,561 km
- Petrol
- Manual

- 50,000 km
- Diesel
- Automatic

- 67,000 km
- Diesel
- Manual

- 57,000 km
- Petrol
- Manual

- 25,000 km
- Petrol
- Automatic
Upcoming Cars










Upcoming Bikes










Explore More
Latest News
Related Articles

-17801 second ago
The latest iteration gets a slew of updated features and mechanical upgrades.

-11185 second ago
The brand is offering free service support through its dealer network in Chennai and other affected areas.

-8391 second ago
Toyota and its dealer partners have set up a special emergency helpline number and have a deployed the Hilux pickup for rescue and movement of submerged vehicles

32 minutes ago
Starting from December 8, 2023 customers affected by the flash floods can avail free RSA, engine check-ups and other service benefits at the Yamaha service centers

1 hour ago
MG Motor India has introduced a December Fest sale with sizable benefits across its lineup with offers valid until December 31

1 hour ago
Ducati said that the price increase was due to a rise in operational costs and will affect select motorcycles on sale

2 hours ago
The Q6 e-Tron will boast an 800-volt electrical system, a 100 kWh battery offering a range of 373 miles, and dual electric motors generating up to 510 horsepower

18 hours ago
The made-in-India sport bike is powered by a 457 cc parallel-twin engine that puts out a peak 47 bhp.

19 hours ago
The new Triumph Bonneville Stealth Editions come with special hand-painted colours that change hues depending on the light

8 months ago
Brent crude futures rose 1.8%, to settle at $76.69 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) ended $1.23 higher at $70.90.

8 months ago
India has been the biggest buyer of Russia's benchmark Urals grade crude in March.

8 months ago
Brent crude settled down 1.2%, to $74.99 while West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude futures fell 1%, to $69.26 a barrel.

8 months ago
Brent crude futures fell by 78 cents to settle at $75.91 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures slid by 94 cents, to end the session at $69.96 a barrel.

8 months ago
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Russia's total exports of oil and petroleum products in February 2023 fell to 7.5 million barrels per day (bpd), from an average amount of 7.7 million bpd in 2022 (7.5 million bpd in 2021).
