President Joe Biden took part in a 50-minute telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday.
On the call, Biden urged Putin to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine, making clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine, according to a statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Biden also expressed support for diplomacy ahead of high-level bilateral talks between Russia and the United States scheduled for the week of Jan. 10 in Geneva. These will include the Strategic Stability Dialogue, as well as the NATO-Russia Council and the OSCE Permanent Council meeting.
Biden reiterated that substantive progress in these dialogues can occur only in an environment of de-escalation rather than escalation.
Russia has amassed troops at its border with Ukraine in recent weeks with estimates of more than 90,000 along the border and in Russian-annexed Crimea.
Earlier this month, Moscow submitted draft security documents demanding that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries and roll back its military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe.
The United States and its allies have refused to offer Russia any guarantees, citing NATO’s principle that membership is open to any qualifying country.
Thursday’s call marks the second time Biden has warned Putin that the United States will coordinate with its allies to impose severe sanctions against Russia should it invade Ukraine.
The two leaders last spoke during a call on Dec. 7.
Biden has said that sending troops to Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion is “not on the table.” But White House officials have said “other measures” could also include additional defensive material to the Ukrainians and the fortification of NATO allies on Russia’s eastern flank with additional capabilities if Russia decides to invade.
“I think both leaders believe that there is genuine value in direct leader-to-leader engagement, that we are at a moment of crisis and have been for some weeks now, given the Russian buildup, and that it will take a high level of engagement to address this and to try to find a path of de-escalation,” said a senior administration official ahead of the call.
Secretary Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday to coordinate and consult on a range of issues from the perspective of the government of Ukraine.
U.S. officials have said the military buildup, along with a spike in anti-Ukrainian activity on social media, harkens back to a “similar playbook” used by Putin in 2014 when Russia occupied Crimea.
Officials have also said that should Russia invade Ukraine, the sanctions imposed would go far beyond what was implemented in 2014.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in December that the United States has held intensive conversations with both the incoming and outgoing German governments on the subject of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the context of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Reprinted with permission from – The Epoch Times – By Nick Ciolino
Here’s how the call actually went:
Joe Biden was playing with his new puppy and eating some ice cream. All while Putin was repeating his terms and redrawing the map of Ukraine as part of Russia again and then looking at which east European country would be next on his list.
Putin knows none of the major EU countries will interfere, because he now has them over a barrel with his control of their energy supplies via his two Russian pipelines. Shut up, do nothing or Putin will close of the valves and much of Europe will simply freeze to death. Thank socialist Merkel, who just stepped down after finally being ousted, for that one before she finally sailed out the door.
So basically this meeting was just a little PR stunt that Putin orchestrated to demonstrate to the rest of the world that Putin doesn’t fear or respect Senile Joe and that he is calling all the shots with respect to Ukraine. I’m sure President Xi in China found the optics of this meeting quite useful as he gears up for taking Taiwan sometime after the Olympics conclude.
A man who is not supposed to be there. They have to fix the 2020 election.
“The United States and its allies have refused to offer Russia any guarantees, citing NATO’s principle that membership is open to any qualifying country.” Add this, Biden: “…and if you don’t remove your forces, NATO will fast-track Ukraine’s membership.”
“…we are at a moment of crisis and have been for some weeks now, given the Russian buildup…” Biden needs to name a few specific consequences of further action on the border. The usual platitudes and ill-defined threats mean nothing to Putin. But that’s what we expect from a weak leader.
I don’t believe anything Biden or Psaki say!
Russia is pushing him, because they know he’s weak! I pray we don’t get in a war over this mess!
Russia and the round face yellow C*K suckers need to be challenged.
Collusion!!!
More Russia Russia BS,the deep state just needs a boogie man to put fear in the sheeple
If there is a doctor present with credentials in proctology, would you please take care of the rectal orifice in the White House?
When I first read the title of this story I mistakenly read it as Biden calls for ” De-Education ” on call with Putin… Now that I think of it, I believe my 1st impression was correct…
Believe NOTHING coming out of this administrations mouth…( 1 ) word best describes these leeches, PATHETIC… Russia & China know this only to well… :~(
Bill… :~)
What does Biden have to deal with? Everyone knows he doesn’t have the “stones” for military action. Thanks to his handling of Afghanistan. NATO countries are going to sanction Russia when Russia can turn off their heat this winter? The UK has refused to participate in any military exercises that involve US troops. As near as I can tell Putin will do whatever he wants.
At the end of that call, I bet Putin was really quaking in his boots… with laughter.