The president of United States, Joe Biden, and that of Russia, Vladimir Putin, will hold a phone call today to discuss the tension in Ukraine, on whose border the Russian Army has been concentrating forces in recent weeks.
In a statement, the spokeswoman for the US National Security Council, Emily Horne, announced this call yesterday and recalled that Biden continues to hold talks and consultations with his allies to seek a common response to the increased military presence of Russia on the border with Ukraine.
He also recalled Biden’s contacts with European leaders and his administration’s multilateral talks with NATO, the European Union and the OSCE, as well as bilateral contacts with NATO’s eastern flank countries and with Ukraine itself.
What’s more, the US Government announced that Biden will insist on Putin in that his country is prepared for diplomacy, but also to “respond” if Russia advances and invades Ukraine.
“We are prepared to provide Ukraine with further assistance to defend its territory and respond to a potential Russian occupation in the coming weeks,” said in a conference call with journalists a senior official in the US Administration.
The White House also revealed that the phone call will come at the express request of Moscow.
“This call was scheduled after the Russian side requested it,” said the senior administration official.
As indicated by the State Department in a statement, Blinken expressed to Zelenski the US support for “independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine” given the increase in the Russian presence on the border.
They will resume the dialogue
The US government announced that Biden will “make it clear” to Putin that the US will at all times stand by its allies in the region – in a clear reference to Ukraine – and that it will not accept anything about friendly third countries without them being part of the talks.
Antony Blinken spoke with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, to whom he reiterated Washington’s “unwavering support” for Kiev in the face of the increase in the Russian military presence.