US sanctions on Russia won't 'help' Biden-Putin summit: Kremlin
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On Tuesday, Biden invited Putin in a phone call for a summit on the neutral ground after tensions between the West and Russia intensified in recent weeks over the conflict in Ukraine
Russia on Thursday said that the US sanctions for alleged election interference and hacking will "not help" a possible summit between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The reaction came after the US media reported that Washington on Thursday will impose sanctions on over 30 Russian entities, expel more than 10 Russian diplomats from the US, and push an existing ban on US banks transacting in Russian government debt.
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"What is currently being discussed -- likely sanctions -- will in no way help such a meeting. That is unambiguous," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, as reported by news agency AFP.
On Tuesday, Biden invited Putin in a phone call for a summit on the neutral ground after tensions between the West and Russia intensified in recent weeks over the conflict in Ukraine.
The Kremlin spokesperson, however, said that it will up to both the president to decide whether the summit could go ahead or not.
A Russian troop formation on the Ukrainian border, where the government forces have been fighting pro-Russia separatists since 2014 has caused concerns in the West and issued warnings by NATO.
Though, in the Putin-Biden phone call, both leaders called for continual dialogue after ties between both the nations reached a new low when Biden described his Russian counterpart as a "killer" last month.
(With inputs from agencies)