According to the White House’s briefing, Biden emphasized that “while the United States remains ready to engage in diplomacy in full coordination with its allies and partners,” they are ready for any scenario.
Biden has also reiterated that the attack on Ukraine will lead to great human suffering and weaken Russia’s international position.
The two presidents’ talks lasted a little over an hour, but they do not seem to have made any significant progress.
A US official has acknowledged that the talks have not brought about a fundamental change in the current situation and that it is not clear whether Russia will favor diplomacy or military action.
The official said, however, that Washington had made proposals to Moscow that would “increase European security as well as partially address Russia’s concerns,” while respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Meanwhile, after the two presidents’ phone calls, the Kremlin has condemned the “hysteria” fueled by the United States over Ukraine’s borders.
“Hysteria has reached its peak,” said Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser.
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. 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.
–
