Biden has warned Putin of a “high price” if Russia invades Ukraine / Article

Biden has warned Putin of a “high price” if Russia invades Ukraine

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Despite the fruitless efforts of the West so far to persuade Russia to withdraw its troops from the border with Ukraine, US and European leaders continue to talk to the Kremlin.

On the evening of Saturday, February 12, a long-distance conversation between the President of the United States Joe Baiden and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin lasted a little over an hour.

Biden told Putin that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would cause widespread human suffering and weaken Russia’s position in the world, the White House said. He has stated that the West wants to end the crisis through diplomacy, but is equally prepared for other scenarios.

Biden also warned that the United States and its allies would react decisively and force the Kremlin to pay a high price if Russia decided to invade Ukraine.

An unnamed Baiden administration official told reporters that the talks between the US and Russian presidents had been constructive, but had not eased tensions.

The official added that it was still unclear whether Putin had made the final decision on the military attack on Ukraine.

Kremlin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, described Putin’s and Biden’s talks as “balanced and businesslike”, despite the fact that the “hysteria” over Russia’s possible invasion of Ukraine had culminated.

Putin has complained that Western countries are arming Ukraine and not putting enough pressure on Kiev to “sabotage” the so-called Minsk agreement, which aims to end eight years of hostilities in the Donbass region.

Ushakov also said that Russia would soon present its reaction to the written answers submitted by the United States and NATO to the “security guarantees” demanded by Russia – not to admit Ukraine to NATO and to withdraw allied forces from countries that joined the alliance after 1997.

Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said on Friday, February 11 that Russia’s attack on Ukraine could begin in the coming days, with the media naming exact dates as February 15 or 16. It is speculated that Russia may target Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.

Australia announced on Sunday, February 13, that it would evacuate most of its diplomats from Kiev to the country’s western city of Lviv. A similar decision has been made by the United States and Canada.

Despite Western warnings of a possible Russian invasion, Ukrainian officials are trying to remain calm.

The commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine fighting in Donbass, Oleksandr Pavluk, has stated that the armed forces are in control of the situation and are ready to respond to any provocations from the enemies.

“The joint forces are conducting regular combat training activities and have everything they need to stop armed aggression. All units are carrying out their tasks in strict compliance with the Minsk agreements and are ready to respond in a timely and adequate manner to potential threats. Keep calm and trust the Ukrainian armed forces.” Pavluks said in a video message.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry have also called on the people not to panic.

CONTEXT:

A number of countries called for leave its citizens in Ukraine after the United States warned that a new Russian military invasion of Ukraine might begin soon. However, Western countries continue their diplomatic efforts to prevent a Russian attack on Ukraine. On February 12, telephone conversations took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the President of the United States Joe Bidenand between Putin and the French president Emanuelu Makronu. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry developed a plan in case a large number of people from Ukraine arrive in Latvia.

Already last year, Russia began pulling a contingent of troops off the Ukrainian border, raising concerns about a new invasion of the neighborhood. In December, Moscow issued an ultimatum to the West demanding a halt further enlargement of NATO to the east, as well as the dismantling of the Alliance’s infrastructure in the so-called new member states, restoring the situation that existed on 27 May 1997, ie before the first enlargement of NATO. Putin has threatened that if Moscow does not receive his requests “security guarantees”he will have to implement “military technical measures”.

The United States and other NATO members have stated that these demands are unacceptable and not even negotiable, but have shown readiness to talk about arms control, missile deployment and confidence-building measures. US President Joe Biden has warned Putin that the US will impose unprecedented sanctions on Russia if it attacks Ukraine.

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