Image source,The White House via Reuters
The US and Russian heads of state talked on Thursday, lasting about 50 minutes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned U.S. President Biden that imposing new sanctions on Russia in response to the Ukraine issue may lead to a complete breakdown of relations between the two countries.
The two presidents talked on the phone on Thursday night. During the period Putin said that if new sanctions are imposed on Russia, it will be a “great mistake.”
At the same time, Biden told Putin that the United States and its allies will respond decisively to the invasion of Ukraine.
The call was made at the request of the Russian side. It was the second call between the two this month and lasted for nearly an hour.
This is the latest effort by both sides to ease the tension on the border between eastern Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian officials said that more than 100,000 Russian soldiers have been stationed at the border.
The United States has threatened to impose “unprecedented” sanctions on Russia if Ukraine is attacked, which has caused further concerns in Western countries.
However, Russia denied any plans to invade Russia and stated that it was sending troops for the purpose of the exercise. The Russian side stated that it has the right to freely mobilize troops on its own territory.
Although the two sides warned each other during the call, Yuri Ushakov, a Russian foreign policy adviser, told reporters shortly after the call that Putin was “satisfied” with the dialogue. He also said that this creates a “good foundation” for future negotiations.
A senior U.S. official who asked not to be named stated that the U.S. tone was “serious and meaningful.”
Image source,Getty Images
Russia’s massive build-up of troops on the Ukrainian border arouses concern in the West
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: “President Biden reiterated that these dialogues can only make substantial progress in a decelerating environment.”
“He made it clear that if Russia further invades Ukraine, the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively,” Psaki said.
US and Russian officials will hold face-to-face talks in Geneva next month. The White House said that Biden urged the Russian Foreign Minister to seek a diplomatic solution.
Before the call on Thursday, Putin told Biden in his holiday speech that he was convinced that the two countries can cooperate on the basis of “mutual respect and consideration of each other’s national interests.”
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov (Dmitry Peskov) stated that Moscow is “intentional to engage in dialogue”.
Peskov also said: “We believe that only through negotiations can it be possible to resolve the pressing issues between us.”
The Ukrainian Defense Minister told the parliament in early December that Russia has assembled tens of thousands of troops near the border and may be preparing to launch a large-scale military offensive at the end of January.
Russia claims that the build-up of troops on the border is a protective measure against the Western military alliance, NATO. It hopes to obtain legally binding guarantees that NATO will not expand further east and that certain weapons will not be shipped to Ukraine or any neighboring countries.
The United States believed that the Kremlin had plans to control Ukraine, an independent country, and therefore rejected Russia’s request.
Ukraine was not invited to join NATO, but it has close ties with the organization.
The tension between Russia and Ukraine is nothing new. In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, and soon began to support separatist activities in eastern Ukraine, which has resulted in the death of approximately 14,000 people in the fighting.
Washington and its European allies warned Russia that if the army crosses the border into Ukraine again, it will face severe economic sanctions.
“Putin only understands the language of guns.”
Analysis: Washington is deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine
White House correspondent Tara McKelvey (Tara McKelvey)
White House officials appeared calm when talking about Ukraine, at least when they were outside the West Wing of the White House.
Earlier on Thursday evening, a senior U.S. government official told reporters that the phone call between President Biden and President Putin was “a serious and meaningful dialogue.”
The official spoke cautiously when talking about the meeting and talked peacefully about the threat from Russia. However, behind the scenes, he and other White House officials were deeply concerned about the possibility of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
An insider told me that the signs from Russia were “ominous,” so the United States accelerated its diplomacy.
At least on Thursday, the two leaders held talks, which the White House saw as a positive sign. So far this is the case. They are doing everything they can to ensure that the dialogue continues in the new year.