Biden discusses concerns over Russia troop Buildup in calls with leaders
US president held calls with leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Britain on Monday to discuss their ‘shared concern’ over Russia troop buildup.
US President Joe Biden will warn his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of “direct costs” should Moscow invade Ukraine, a senior Biden administration official has said, on the eve of a scheduled call between the two leaders, as the CIA director reported a buildup of Russian troops along the border.
Biden intends to “send a clear message to Russia that there will be genuine and meaningful and direct costs should they choose to go forward with a military escalation” with Ukraine, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity on Monday.
Late on Monday, the Wall Street Journal quoted Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns as saying that he has seen “steady and unusual buildup” by Russia along the border with Ukraine.
The White House said Biden, in a call with leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and Britain, discussed their “shared concern” about the buildup and “Russia’s increasingly harsh rhetoric.”
Biden, France’s Emmanuel Macron, German’s Angela Merkel, Italy’s Mario Draghi, and Britain’s Boris Johnson underscored their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called on Russia to de-escalate tensions, the White House statement added said.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price also told reporters on Monday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy about the upcoming phone call between Biden and Putin.
Price said Biden will warn Putin that the US will use “high impact economic measures that we have refrained from using in the past.”
Price added that the US remains committed to NATO’s open-door policy and that the alliance should remain ready to aspirants when they’re ready. Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, now aspires to join the European Union and NATO.
Tensions between Washington and Moscow have escalated in recent weeks over a major Russian troop build-up on its border with Ukraine, raising fears of a potential invasion and spurring warnings of new Western economic sanctions on Russia.
Biden and Putin will speak in a secure video conference on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced over the weekend.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES