The Russian delegation at the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi said that Vladimir Putin started the full-scale invasion of Ukraine because of the lack of response from then-US President Joe Biden to his 2021 letter. This explanation by the Russian side was reported by Axios, citing two sources familiar with the course of the negotiations.
According to the publication's interlocutors, Russian representatives linked Putin's decision to start the war with Biden allegedly ignoring his address, which outlined Moscow's concerns about European security.
In response, US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner noted that the international situation has changed significantly since 2021. They suggested that Russia prepare a new document that would include not only its demands but also specific reciprocal steps to reduce tensions in Europe.
At the end of 2021, Russia indeed put forward large-scale demands to the US and NATO regarding a revision of the European security system. In particular, Moscow demanded legal guarantees of NATO's non-expansion, a rejection of the prospect of Ukraine's membership in the Alliance, and the actual return of NATO's military presence in Eastern Europe to the state of 1997.
It should be noted that on January 26, 2022, the US officially delivered a written response to Moscow to its proposals on security guarantees. Then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed receipt of the document by the Russian side. Washington offered to continue diplomatic negotiations, but rejected demands that would limit the sovereign right of states to choose security alliances.
Thus, the version reported by Axios about the letter to Biden is an explanation that Russian negotiators voiced in November 2026, not an established cause of the invasion. Russia launched the full-scale war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after months of military buildup near the Ukrainian borders.
Based on materials from: Axios, US State Department, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
