Ukraine conflict: Biden continues telephone diplomacy

After talks with Kremlin chief Putin, US President Biden is expected to speak to Ukrainian President Zelensky on the phone today. He wants to bring the deployment of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.

Against the backdrop of massive Russian military deployment along the border with Ukraine, US President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian ally Volodymyr Zelensky would like to make a phone call today. According to information from Washington, Biden wants to “reaffirm US support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”. It will be about “Russia’s military reunification on the Ukrainian borders.”

Another topic is the planned talks between Moscow and Washington, which should help defuse the Ukraine conflict. Zelensky said on Twitter that the aim was to agree on common positions “for peace in Ukraine and security in Europe”.

Preparations for talks in Geneva

Biden spoke on the phone with Putin for about an hour on Thursday. The White House did not initially provide an exact time for the phone call with Zelensky. Russian and American diplomats are scheduled to meet in Geneva on January 9 and 10. Western defense alliance NATO is also planning a meeting with the Russian side on January 12. The next day, the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) meeting in Europe is to be held.

The West fears that Moscow may attack the neighboring country. The Kremlin has denied any plans to attack, rejected criticism of military movements and, for its part, accused Ukraine and NATO of “provocation”. In 2014 Russia annexed the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. It also supports separatists loyal to the Kremlin in eastern Ukraine.