Ukraine | Exchange of warnings between Biden and Putin

(Washington) Joe Biden threatened Vladimir Poutine with a firm response to any Russian invasion in Ukraine, during a telephone exchange Thursday during which the Russian president affirmed that new sanctions against Moscow would be “a colossal mistake”.

Mr. Poutine said he was “satisfied” with this conversation of about fifty minutes, “serious and concrete” according to an official of the American administration.

The two leaders praised the diplomatic route out of the crisis generated by the threat of a Russian invasion.

But any diplomatic progress will first and foremost pass through a “de-escalation” in Ukraine, warned the American leader.

Joe Biden took part in this telephone exchange – his second in less than a month with the strongman of the Kremlin – from Wilmington, his stronghold in Delaware where he spends the end-of-year holidays.

During the call, the White House released a photo of the American leader, phone in hand, in a room with wood-paneled walls.

The United States will respond “resolutely” to any Russian invasion of Ukraine, he told his Russian counterpart, 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.

“It was not a new engagement”, swept to AFP an American official.

For its part, the Kremlin demanded “results” on its demands for “guarantees” of security: the negotiation of two treaties redefining the security balance and architecture of Europe which will soon be discussed during Russian-American talks. January 10 in Geneva.

For Moscow, Russia’s security requires the prohibition of any NATO enlargement, 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.

“Full American support”

Meeting these demands is the only way to contain the escalation of tensions, says 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 his 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 took care to meet Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the one hand, and his French, German and British counterparts on the other.

The Ukrainian president said he was assured of “full American support” to “counter a Russian attack”.

“Colossal error”

Westerners have so far ruled out a military response to a possible Russian invasion. But the Russian president also warned against massive sanctions against Moscow linked to Ukraine which would be a “colossal mistake”, said the Kremlin.

Russia and its elite are already the subject of multiple economic reprisals because of the Ukrainian case and the repression in the country, but none of these measures have changed the Kremlin’s line, quite the contrary.

Moscow also denies threatening Ukraine, of which it has yet annexed part of the territory, Crimea, in 2014, and claims to have 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.

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”.

These discussions, led by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and her Russian counterpart Sergei Riabkov, will be followed on January 12 by a Russia-NATO meeting, then on January 13 by a meeting within the framework of the OSCE. .