US President Joe Biden spoke for over an hour with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreeing to continue and advance their communication ahead of a summit in Geneva early next year.
Their second phone conversation this month occurred amid mounting Western concerns about Russia’s force buildup near Ukraine.
The simmering conflict has recently worsened as the Kremlin has stepped up its demands for more security guarantees.
What was Russia’s reaction to the call?
“We are generally satisfied with the interaction and negotiations that took place because they were open, meaningful, and specific.I believe the conversation was headed on a positive path overall. After the meeting, Russian spokesman Yury Ushakov told reporters.
He said it’s important that the American side be willing to appreciate the logic and spirit of the Russian concerns that were stated in the two documents that we delivered to Washington and NATO headquarters, acknowledging that Washington had some concerns.
In response to Biden’s threat of sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine, Putin stated that such a move by the US might result in the abolition of all ties between Moscow and Washington.
“Sanctions on Russia would be a major error with catastrophic consequences,” Ushakov warned.
He went on to say that, despite the pleasantries shared, the call constituted a concrete political development.
What about the United States?
According to the White House, Biden told Putin that if Ukraine is invaded, the United States and its allies will respond forcefully.
“President Biden urged Russia to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine, “White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement.
“He made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” she added.
Thursday`s phone call was the second conversation between Biden and Putin in December. The two leaders spoke on December 7 in a video conference that ended with a pledge to restart diplomatic discussions, Xinhua news agency reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
