Biden warns Putin U.S. and allies will respond ‘decisively’ if Russia invades Ukraine
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Thursday warned President Vladimir Putin of Russia in a phone conversation that the United States and its allies and partners will “respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine.”
“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. President Biden urged Russia to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine. He made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
Psaki added that President Biden also expressed support for diplomacy, starting early next year with the bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue, at NATO through the NATO-Russia Council, and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
“President Biden reiterated that substantive progress in these dialogues can occur only in an environment of de-escalation rather than escalation,” she said.
The Kremlin also released a statement, saying that President Putin also warned President Biden and his allies not to take any sanctions against Russia or he may weigh military actions.
Russia has been amassing troops on the board with Ukraine and the United States and Nato allies have warned that any Russia invasion would be met with a strong response.
It is not clear why Russia is trying to invade Ukraine right now.
Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. government, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. and New York City.
