The Kremlin said on Friday that Moscow always hoped for the best but prepared for the worst when it was asked about the possibility of a new Cold War between the United States and Russia.

Diplomatic ties sank to a new low this week after U.S. President Joe Biden said he thought President Vladimir Putin was "a killer" in an interview that prompted Russia to recall its ambassador to the United States. Putin later offered Biden live online talks in the coming days.

On Friday, the Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Putin's offer of talks remained open and that Putin could do any time that was convenient for Biden, though the offer would not stay on the table indefinitely.

Putin said that despite everything there's no point in playing at megaphone diplomacy and trading barbs. There is a point in continuing relations," Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

He was asked about a new Cold War between the two countries.

"We, of course, always hope for the best, but are always ready for the worst. As far as Russia is concerned, President Putin has clearly stated his desire to continue ties...," he said.

"But of course, we can't not take into account Biden's comments," he said, in a reference to Biden's interview with ABC News broadcast on Wednesday.

In it, Biden said "I do" when asked if he believed Putin was a killer, prompting Putin to cite a Russian children's playground chant in response saying "he who said it, did it".

Biden also described Putin as having no soul in the interview, and said the Russian leader would pay a price for alleged meddling in the November 2020 U.S. presidential election, something the Kremlin denies.

Russia was the only nation that refused to send its top UN representative to talks with US President Joe Biden on Thursday, electing instead to dispatch a junior envoy, as a diplomatic row between Moscow and Washington worsens.

President Biden had invited permanent representatives from the United Nations Security Council, on which Moscow has continuous representation, to discuss his country's "commitment to values-based global leadership." In addition, the president called for action on crises in regions across the world, including Myanmar, Ethiopia, Syria, and Yemen.

However, Dmitry Polyanskiy, second-in-command to Russia's permanent representative, Vassily Nebenzia, confirmed on Friday that neither had attended the meeting. Instead, he revealed, Anna Evstigneeva, one of three more junior deputies, had joined the talks with Biden in their place. She reportedly made no remarks.

RIA Novosti reports that Russia's diplomatic mission was the only one that did not send its top figure to greet the American president.

The decision comes amid a week in which Biden and his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, have traded barbs in the press. In an explosive interview with ABC earlier this week, Biden was asked whether he thought Putin was a killer. "Mmm hmm, I do," Biden replied.

On Thursday, the Russian leader responded, arguing that judging other countries is often "like looking in a mirror."

"When I was a kid, when we were arguing with each other in the playground, we used to say, 'Whatever you say [about others] is what you are yourself,'" Putin said.

The US is expected to unveil new sanctions on Russia as early as next week in response to claims that Moscow attempted to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. A joint report by US intelligence agencies argued that a network of Russian proxies had worked with the aim of "denigrating President Biden's candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting former President Trump, undermining public confidence in the electoral process, and exacerbating sociopolitical divisions in the US."

On Wednesday, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, denied the claims, insisting that "Russia has nothing to do with any campaigns against any of the candidates. In this regard, we consider this report to be incorrect." Instead, he argued, the allegations were being used as an excuse to introduce new sanctions.

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Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said the government in Kabul is committed to engaging in "substantive and serious" negotiations on establishing a cease-fire and achieving "a comprehensive political settlement that ends the war and brings about sustainable peace in the country."

A member of the Taliban delegation sent to Moscow on March 19 said that if Washington fails to withdraw its forces by May 1, there could be a "reaction," which could mean increased attacks by the group.

"They should go," Mohammad Suhail Shaheen told a press conference, warning that staying beyond the deadline would breach the U.S.-Taliban deal. "After that, it will be a kind of violation of the agreement. That violation would not be from our side.... Their violation will have a reaction," he added, without elaborating on what form the "reaction" would take.

In keeping with the agreement, the insurgents say they have not attacked American or NATO forces.