Ukrain (Washington Insider Magazine) -President Biden expressed concern over Russian force buildups near Ukraine’s border in a video conversation on Tuesday, Dec. 7, and advocated for a de-escalation of hostilities.
Russia has stated that it would not launch a strike.
President Putin accused Ukraine of provocation and demanded guarantees against NATO expansion eastward and weaponry placement near Russia.
Over 90,000 Russian troops are thought to be stationed near Ukraine’s borders. The movement has exacerbated Russia’s already poor relations with the United States.
Following the call on Tuesday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that the Biden administration was preparing specific forceful measures in the coming weeks if they were warranted.
Economic penalties were imposed, and extra force deployments to NATO partners in the region and defense supplies for Ukraine.
Sullivan refused to speculate on the economic measures. However, he stated that Nord Stream 2, a new gas pipeline from Russia to Germany still under construction, provides “leverage” for the US and its allies.
According to sources, other probable actions include limiting Russian banks’ ability to exchange roubles into foreign currencies or unplugging Russia from the Swift global financial payment system.
According to Sullivan, President Biden has made it plain where the United States stands on all these matters.
Before the talks began behind closed doors, television footage of the first few minutes showed the US and Russian leaders greeting each other warmly. The call was held through a secure video link set up under prior administrations but had never been utilized before. President Putin spoke from his home in the southern resort of Sochi, while President Biden addressed the nation from the White House.
Meanwhile, according to a Kremlin statement, President Putin has stated that Russia should not be held accountable for the tensions because NATO is making “dangerous steps to take over Ukrainian land and expanding its military capacity” on Russia’s borders.
According to the statement, Russia is serious about obtaining legally binding guarantees to prevent NATO’s eastward expansion and the deployment of offensive weapons systems in countries bordering Russia.
President Biden made no promises to curb NATO’s growth, according to the White House.
The White House stated in a conference call on Monday night that the presidents of the United States, the UK, France, Germany, and Italy had developed a joint strategy “to impose considerable and severe harm on the Russian economy” if Russia launched an invasion.
President Biden met with the four European leaders once again following his meetings with President Putin.
A sizable portion of Russia’s recent military buildup is in Crimea, which Russia took from Ukraine and subsequently annexed in 2014.
Troops congregate near Ukraine’s eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, some of which are controlled by Russian-backed rebels.
Over 14,000 people have died in the seven years since Russian-backed troops took major sections of Ukraine’s east.