WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden planned to hold a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday as administration officials fear the tension between Russia and Ukraine could escalate into military conflict.
The call with Putin is being held “at the request of the Russian side,” a senior administration official said Wednesday, adding, “I cannot speak to why the Russian side has requested this call.” The official said the two leaders planned to discuss diplomacy and de-escalation at the Russia-Ukraine border and lay the groundwork for security talks between the United States and Russia on Jan. 10, which Biden and Putin are not expected to participate in, the official said.
Russia has massed 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border, prompting fears of an invasion as early as next month. While Russia has denied that it has any plans to attack its neighbor, administration officials say they are preparing for such a possibility.
“The Biden Administration continues to engage in extensive diplomacy with our European Allies and partners, consulting and coordinating on a common approach in response to Russia’s military build-up on the border with Ukraine,” the spokesperson, Emily Horne, said in a statement.
Biden administration officials have said that in order for there to be progress on areas where Russia would like to see action, there needs to be de-escalation with Ukraine.
In a call with Putin early this month, Biden warned that the U.S. would pursue “strong economic measures” and increase military aid to the region should Russia invade Ukraine.
Biden told Putin that in addition to sanctions, the U.S. would provide additional defense materials to Ukraine and build up military capabilities in nearby countries that also border Russia.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement Wednesday.
Blinken “reiterated the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders,” Price said.
As vice president, Biden was heavily involved in U.S. relations with Ukraine. At the time, Russia had invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This time, the White House has said it will go further in countering Russian military aggression than it did in 2014.
Biden has come under criticism for having suspended sanctions this year on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, a project strongly opposed by Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. But U.S. officials say the administration will not hesitate to impose sanctions and prevent the completion of the pipeline if necessary.
Teaganne Finn contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
