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The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, called for the easing of tensions with Ukraine, during last night’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“He made it clear to President Putin that the United States, its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” the White House said in a statement.
“Any Russian military intervention in Ukraine would lead to harsh sanctions on Moscow and an expansion of NATO’s presence in its eastern member states,” a senior White House official said after the talks.
Ukraine can now count on further assistance, including its armed forces and national defense.
In the hour-long phone call, Biden also pushed for a diplomatic solution and voiced support for talks with NATO and the OSCE scheduled for early next year.
The call came ahead of talks in Geneva on January 10th, during which diplomats from both countries will meet to discuss the stalemate.
Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said that “if the negotiations are successful, they can lead to improved bilateral relations.”
Putin appeared willing to make concessions to his demands for mandatory security guarantees from NATO, outlined in a draft agreement submitted two weeks ago.
He called for an end to NATO’s eastward expansion, which Moscow sees as a threat.
In comments reported by Interfax, Ushakov said Moscow would take into account the considerations of the US and its partners in Western countries in the negotiations.
He said Russia would still insist on guarantees of its security, and that Putin had discussed this with Biden.
The US accuses Russia of a massive gathering of troops near Ukraine, while Russia accuses Ukraine of increasing its military presence in the region.
“Both countries have a special responsibility for international and regional stability,” Putin was quoted as saying by the Kremlin.
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