During their phone conversation on Thursday, President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of "severe sanctions" if Russia invaded Ukraine, Biden told reporters the next day.
In response to a question on Putin's reaction, Biden stated that the US and Russia would continue to work to resolve the problem. In January, a number of meetings between the US, Russia, and NATO will take place in various settings. The phone talk between Putin and Biden on Thursday was considered a step in the right direction in preparing for those discussions, The Hill reported.
Putin warns of rupture of US-Russia relationship over Ukraine
Russia has massed troops on Ukraine's border, raising fears of repeating Russia's invasion of Crimea. Ukraine has been fighting separatist groups supported by Russia in the eastern part of the country since 2014 when Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula. Earlier this month, Biden and Putin discussed the invasion, with Biden warning Putin that if he attacked Ukraine, he would face economic repercussions.
Putin has repeatedly expressed reservations about Ukraine joining NATO, the US-led alliance of European states. According to CNN, Putin warned the Biden administration on Thursday that any new sanctions might destabilize the bilateral relationship, citing information from a Kremlin official.
After the phone chat on Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki issued a statement that "made clear that the United States and its allies and partners would respond firmly if Russia continues to attack Ukraine."
Per Republic World, Russia has amassed tens of thousands of troops along its Ukrainian border in the previous two months, frightening the US and its allies. This follows its invasion of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014 and assistance for militants in eastern Ukraine. The presidents met on Thursday, at Putin's invitation, for the second time this month, but according to the White House, it consisted of both men restating their positions, with Biden warning of terrible repercussions if Putin opted to invade.
Biden to Speak with Zelenskiy
According to a senior administration official on a conference call with reporters, Biden had laid out "two paths," one of diplomacy and de-escalation and the other of deterrence "including serious costs and consequences" such as economic sanctions, strengthening Nato's force posture, and military assistance to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin claimed that Putin used the phone call to issue his own warning, telling Biden that any more sanctions would be a tremendous mistake that would entirely break ties between Russia and the US. The appeal comes ahead of a US-Russia security meeting in Geneva on January 9th and 10th, which will be followed by a Russia-NATO session on January 12 and a larger conference on January 13 that will include Russia, the US, and other European nations.
A White House official said Friday that US President Joe Biden would call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday, a day after Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about lowering tensions on the Ukraine-Russia border.
The Biden-Putin meeting set the tone for a series of lower-level meetings between the two countries, including a security meeting between the US and Russia on January 9-10, a Russia-NATO session on January 12, and a broader conference involving Russia, the US, and other European countries on January 13.
In contact with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and others on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempted to build the basis for such talks, according to the State Department. Blinken considered a coordinated reaction with the foreign ministers of Canada and Italy to dissuade further Russian actions against Ukraine, as per Big News Network.
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