US President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodimir Zelenski on Sunday that Washington and its allies "will respond decisively" if Russia acts to invade its pro-Western neighbor, the White House reported.
Reporting on the phone chat between the two, White House press secretary Jen Psaki also said the Biden expressed support for the diplomatic efforts, including high-level talks between Russian and US officials scheduled for January 9-10. in Geneva.
President Biden made it clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia does invade Ukraine
Psaki said in a statement.
Biden also "reaffirmed the United States' commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," he added.
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| Russia Ukraine War |
The show of US support for Ukraine comes days after Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of the dire consequences if Moscow invades its neighbor.
In his call with Zelensky, Biden also emphasized Washington's commitment "to the principle of 'nothing about you without you,'" in an apparent reference to the need to include Ukraine in negotiations about its own future.
Zelensky later tweeted that he appreciated America's "unwavering support" and that the so-called "proves the special nature" of the two countries' relationship.
Earlier this week, Biden spoke to Putin, the two leaders' second phone conversation in three weeks as tensions over Ukraine mounted.
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| US, China And Russia |
Speaking about the call with Putin on Friday, Biden said: "I am not going to negotiate here in public, but we make it clear that he cannot, I will emphasize, that he cannot invade Ukraine."
The US leader added, in remarks to reporters during a vacation stay in Delaware, that he had "made it clear to President Putin that we will have severe sanctions, we will increase our presence in Europe, with NATO allies" if Russia invades Ukraine.
Biden also "expressed support for confidence-building measures to reduce tensions in Donbas and active diplomacy to advance the implementation of the Minsk Accords."
Under the Minsk agreement, negotiated by France and Germany, Ukraine agreed to carry out political reforms, while Russia agreed to end its support for pro-Russian separatist rebels.
'SIGNIFICANTLY ENGAGE' -
Washington and its European allies accuse Russia of threatening Ukraine with a new invasion.
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| Putin And Biden Ease The Tension |
Some 100,000 Russian troops are concentrated near the country's border, where Putin already seized the Crimea region in 2014, and is accused of fomenting a pro-Russian separatist war that broke out that same year in the east.
Moscow describes the presence of troops as protection against NATO expansion, even though Ukraine has not been invited to become a member of the military alliance.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg on Friday; Blinken subsequently urged Russia to "engage significantly" in upcoming talks on the tense standoff between Moscow and Kiev.
Stoltenberg said NATO was "united" and "ready for dialogue."
In Thursday's call, Biden warned Putin against invading Ukraine, while the Kremlin leader said sanctions against Moscow would be a "colossal mistake."
After a 50-minute phone call, the second in just over three weeks, both presidents indicated their support for more diplomacy.
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| End Of The Soviet Union |
Putin was generally "satisfied" with the talks, foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov told reporters.
A senior US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the tone "was serious and significant."
However, the depth of the disagreement, or the dangerously high dangers on the margins of Eastern Europe, could not be hidden.
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