According to the White House, US President Joe Biden reminded Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday that if Russia invades Ukraine again, the US and its allies will “respond decisively”.
The call comes only days after Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the second time in a month, amid rising tensions along Russia’s border with Ukraine, where Russia has deployed 100,000 troops.
“President Biden made it plain that if Russia continues to attack Ukraine, the United States and its allies and partners will respond firmly,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement following the discussion.
According to the White House, Biden and Zelenskiy discussed preparations for a series of planned diplomatic sessions to address the problem.
They discussed collaborative steps on keeping Europe at peace and averting future escalation, Zelenskiy said on Twitter.
“The exceptional character of our relations is demonstrated by the first international talk of the year with @POTUS,” Zelenskiy tweeted. He stated that Ukraine and the United States were working together “The role of the EU and its partners in maintaining peace, averting further escalation, reforms, and deoligarchization were discussed. Ukraine’s continuous support is greatly appreciated.”
On the 9th and 10th of January, representatives from the United States and Russia will meet in Geneva, followed by discussions between Russia and NATO and a summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Before those conversations, Biden said he told Putin that it was critical for the Russians to take actions to ease the crisis.
Last week, Putin’s foreign policy adviser told reporters that pursuing sanctions “may lead to a full rupture of relations between our countries, and Russia-West relations will be severely harmed.”
Officials in the Kremlin have stated that any future NATO expansion must exclude Ukraine and other former Soviet republics. The Russians have requested that the military alliance pull offensive weapons out of the region’s countries.
According to the White House, Biden indicated support for diplomatic initiatives aimed at reducing tensions while also confirming “the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
