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Biden, Putin To Hold Call This Week As U.S. Seeks Common Approach With European Allies

By RFE/RL December 29, 2021

U.S. President Joe Biden will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 30 as bilateral tensions rise over a buildup of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine and Moscow's demands for sweeping security guarantees from Washington.

The two leaders will "discuss a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia," National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said on December 29 in a statement announcing the call.

The call comes as U.S. and Russian officials prepare to meet on January 10 in Geneva to discuss Moscow's security demands, including an end to NATO's eastern expansion, as well as U.S. concerns over the Kremlin's massive troop buildup near Ukraine's border.

A senior U.S. administration official told reporters on December 29 that the call was requested by Putin. It will be the second call between the two leaders this month over their differing views on European security and Ukraine's future.

Putin is seeking legal guarantees that NATO will not accept new member states that were once part of the Soviet Union, such as Ukraine and Georgia.

He is also demanding NATO withdraw any weapons from Eastern Europe. The demands would roll back much of the alliance's advances in Europe since the 1990s and leave Ukraine more susceptible to Russian pressure.

Putin last week called for the guarantees "immediately."

The Biden administration has said some of Russia's demands are "unacceptable" and that countries have the right to choose their own foreign policy trajectory.

However, the U.S. administration has said it is willing to engage in diplomacy with Russia and plans to use the upcoming talks to lay out its concerns over the Kremlin's actions.

Russia has amassed about 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine in what the United States has said could be a prelude to an invasion, something the Kremlin denies.

The buildup has sparked a flurry of transatlantic diplomacy this month.

Biden has spoken with leaders across Europe, and Biden administration officials have also consulted with NATO, the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the statement said.

Horne said the administration continues to consult and coordinate with European allies and partners "on a common approach" to Russia's military buildup.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke earlier on December 29 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the State Department said.

Blinken reiterated Washington's "unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's borders," spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Blinken and Zelenskiy "discussed efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine and upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia," Price added.

Biden plans to speak with Zelenskiy soon after the call with Putin, but no date has been set, the senior administration official told the media.

During his annual news conference last week, Putin urged the West to meet Russian demands for security guarantees "immediately," listing a litany of grievances about Ukraine and its potential membership in NATO.

On December 26, Putin said in an interview broadcast on Russian state TV that he would ponder various options if the West failed to meet the demands. Russia's response "could be diverse," he said, adding: "It will depend on what proposals our military experts submit to me."

The senior U.S. administration official said the United States will respond if Russia invades Ukraine, including bolstering NATO forces on the alliance's eastern flank.

The United States has warned it would impose punishing economic sanctions in the event of an invasion.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/biden-putin -phone-call-ukraine/31631959.html

Copyright (c) 2021. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.