US Senator Chris Coons told reporters on Wednesday that he discussed during his meeting with President Joe Biden some of the challenges in the relations between the United States and Russia
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd February, 2021) US Senator Chris Coons told reporters on Wednesday that he discussed during his meeting with President Joe Biden some of the challenges in the relations between the United States and Russia.
Biden is holding a series of consultations at the White House with Democratic lawmakers on his efforts to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic and advance his $1.9 trillion economic relief plan.
"We talked some about President Biden's conversation with [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, about some of the challenges in the US-Russia relationship - the arrest of [opposition figure Alexey] Navalny, the SolarWind hack and the bounties on our troops," Coons said after he and Senator Tom Carper emerged from the meeting.
Both senators represent Delaware, Biden's home state.
Biden's call to Putin is believed to be instrumental in reaching an agreement to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) - the only arms control regime in effect between Russia and the United States - for another five years. Biden had previously ordered a comprehensive intelligence review of the alleged adversarial Russian activities.
Coons said he and Carper also talked with Biden about the US-China relationship with respect to "where we are going and what the direction is going to be under this administration."
