Biden says support for Ukraine ‘will not falter’ after Russia suspends nuclear pact

By Nandita Bose and Guy Faulconbridge

WARSAW/MOSCOW, Feb 22 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will meet leaders of NATO’s eastern flank on Wednesday to show support after the Russian president suspended a nuclear arms control treaty and accused the United States of to turn the war in Ukraine into a global conflict.

On Tuesday in Poland, Biden proclaimed his unwavering support for Ukraine and NATO, which Russia sees as an existential threat.

“When Russia invaded, it wasn’t just Ukraine that was tested. The whole world faced a historic test,” Biden said at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the day after his surprise visit to Kyiv. .

Challenged to respond to the Russian invasion that began on February 24 last year, Biden said the United States and its NATO allies responded: “Yes, we would defend sovereignty. And we We did it. Yes, we would defend the right of the people. “To live without aggression. And we did it.”

“And we would stand up for democracy. And we did,” he said.

“There should be no doubt: our support for Ukraine will not waver, NATO will not split, and we will not tire,” Biden said.

Also on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning to the West about Ukraine by suspending its last major nuclear arms control treaty with the United States.

Putin told Russia’s military and political elite in Moscow that the United States was turning Ukraine’s “special military operation” into a global conflict and announced the suspension of Russia’s participation in New START. reduction of strategic arms).

The Russian Foreign Ministry later said it intended to continue to abide by treaty restrictions on the number of nuclear warheads it could deploy.

“Western elites do not hide their objective. But they cannot help but realize that it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield,” Putin said.

“They intend to turn a local conflict into a phase of global confrontation,” he said. “That’s exactly how we understand everything and we will react accordingly, because in this case we are talking about the existence of our country.”

Biden dismissed Russia’s claim that Western allies were trying to control or destroy Russia. For his part, he accused Russia of crimes against humanity, such as attacks on civilians and rape.

Russia has denied accusations of war crimes and attacks on civilians by Ukraine and its allies.

IN SEARCH OF A SOLUTION

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Putin’s suspension of the nuclear treaty “deeply regrettable and irresponsible”. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it made the world more dangerous and urged Putin to reconsider.

Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun told reporters that New START and other instruments are important for the global security architecture, adding, “Relevant parties should continue to negotiate to find a good solution”.

Under the treaty, which expires in 2026, the United States and Russia can physically control each other’s nuclear arsenals, although tensions around Ukraine have already stalled inspections.

NATO allies and other supporters have sent Ukraine tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons and munitions of war, with the promise of modern battle tanks and as some consider the demands of President Volodymyr Zelensky for more ambitious fighter jets and missiles.

On Wednesday, Biden will meet with leaders of the Bucharest Nine, the eastern NATO members who joined the alliance after years of Cold War rule by the then Soviet Union. Most are among the strongest supporters of military aid to Ukraine and have called for more aid for the country, such as air defense systems.

Biden is expected to reaffirm his security commitments and speak of support for Ukraine before returning to Washington.

FIGHT

Russia suffered three major battlefield defeats in Ukraine last year, but it still controls around a fifth of the country and appears to be making progress in the eastern provinces.

Near the town of Bakhmut, at the center of Russian advances in the eastern region of Donetsk, 18 towns and villages were under fire, the Ukrainian military said on Tuesday.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its army had made a 2.5 km (1.5 mile) advance towards Bakhmut, seen by the Kremlin as a main stage in capturing other towns further west of Donetsk.

“It is very important that despite the heavy pressure on our forces, the front line has not undergone any changes,” Zelensky said in a videotaped speech.

Russian mercenary leader Yevgeni Prigozhin chastised Russian military leaders, accusing them of denying their Wagner fighters access to ammunition in what he described as a treasonous attempt to destroy his military enterprise. The Ministry of Defense dismissed his accusation of ammunition blockade as “absolutely false”.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield information.

Europe’s biggest turf war since World War II has displaced millions of people, left Ukrainian towns and villages in ruins, and destabilized the global economy. More than 8,000 civilians were killed, according to the UN human rights office, adding that thousands more are believed to have died.

(Reporting from Reuters offices; Writing by Grant McCool; Editing in Spanish by Flora Gómez)