Putin Says Ready for Talks with Obama

Paris — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin declared Wednesday he was ready for dialogue with his US counterpart Barack Obama.

“I have no reason to think that Obama doesn’t want to meet with the president of Russia. But it’s up to him after all. I am always open for talks,” Putin said in an interview with France’s TF1 channel and Europe1 radio station.

US Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes said earlier he didn’t rule out that the two leaders could meet on the sidelines of a celebration hosted in Normandy, France, for the D-Day 70th anniversary, although he said no official plans had been made.

“We don’t have any plans for a bilateral meeting with President Putin, so we’re not anticipating the two leaders will have any type of formal meeting,” he said, adding the two would certainly have “cause to interact in that context.”

At the same time, Putin has criticized the United States over its aggressive foreign policies. He stressed Russia had “hardly any military contingents abroad,” while US bases were set up far and wide across the globe.

“American troops are stationed a thousand kilometers away from their own borders,” he said.

Earlier it was reported that Putin would attend the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France. This will be first visit of the Russian president to Western Europe since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis. France invited Putin to take part in the event several months ago and confirmed the invitation despite the disagreements on Ukraine.

In 1944, the Normandy landings opened the Western Front in the World War II, which left the Nazis caught between the allied US, British and European troops and the Soviet Army advancing from the East. (PNA/RIA Novosti) LAM/RSM