For the second time in a month, they spoke to each other. Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden exchanged on the phone for about fifty minutes during the night from Thursday to Friday, to discuss in particular the situation in Ukraine, on the eastern border of which tens of thousands of Russian soldiers would circulate, according to information published in recent weeks. On the phone, Vladimir Putin warned Joe Biden against the possible imposition of new sanctions against his country, which is already the subject of multiple economic reprisals linked to the Ukrainian case. It would be there “A colossal error”, he warned.
For his part, Joe Biden warned that the United States would respond “Resolutely” to a Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, without further details. According to a Kremlin statement released after the call, Joe Biden stressed that Washington would not deploy “Offensive weapons” in Ukraine. The White House minimized these comments, assuring that it was only a simple confirmation of the current policy.
Despite these mutual threats, the two leaders praised the diplomatic path to end the crisis. Vladimir Putin said to himself “satisfied” telephone exchange, according to Moscow, and a US administration official called the conversation “Serious and concrete”. Any diplomatic progress will first and foremost require a “de-escalation” in Ukraine, warned the American leader.
Moscow calls for an end to NATO enlargement
The Kremlin, for its part, demanded “results” on his requests for “Guarantees” security: the negotiation of two treaties redefining the security balance and architecture of Europe which will soon be discussed during Russian-American talks on January 10 in Geneva. For Moscow, Russia’s security requires the prohibition of any NATO expansion, perceived as an existential threat, and the end of Western military activities near Russian borders, an area it considers to fall within its area. influence. Meeting these demands is the only way to contain the escalation of tensions, believes Moscow, which particularly considers the support of the United States, NATO and the European Union to Ukraine as a direct threat to its security and interests.
The United States, accused of leading certain international issues without too much regard for its allies, insists precisely on close coordination with the Europeans and the Ukrainians. The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, also took care to meet Wednesday with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, on the one hand, and his French, German and British counterparts on the other. The Ukrainian president said he received the assurance of a “Full American support” for “Counter a Russian attack”.
Moscow denies threatening Ukraine, although it has already annexed part of the territory, Crimea, in 2014, and says it has to protect itself against the hostility of Westerners who support Kiev, especially in its conflict with pro-Russian separatists. The latter, despite Russian denials, are widely considered to be under the orders of the Kremlin. A sign that the talks of January 10 in Geneva on Ukraine but also strategic stability will be bitter, the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergey Lavrov, has ruled out any “concession”. The United States had previously warned that some Russian requests were “Unacceptable”.