(CNN) – On Thursday, President Joe Biden called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to take action to defuse the ongoing Russian border crisis with Ukraine. In response, Putin called the new round of sanctions a “grave mistake.”
The 50-minute phone call did not lead to major improvements, US and Russian officials later said, but described it as “serious and substantial” and set the tone for upcoming face-to-face diplomatic talks between the two sides.
During the talks, Biden presented two routes to Putin following the deployment of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine: one focused on blocking the diplomatic path toward expansion and the other through increasing sanctions, and the increasing presence of US troops in the east. NATO sidelines and increased aid to Ukraine.
Which route to choose “depends on Russia’s actions in the future,” the official said, adding that “there will be serious costs and consequences if Russia continues with its regional occupation.”
US President Joe Biden and his Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to the official, the two agreed on “practical, decision-driven diplomacy”.
The official said the two leaders recognized areas where “significant progress” could be made and areas where “a deal would be impossible”. The outlines of those areas will be further developed during talks next month in Europe between the US and Russian delegations.
Biden and his team did not leave the call with a clear idea of whether Putin had made the decision to invade Ukraine.
Instead, the US focus will be on stocks and indicators, not words at this time, the official said.
In a statement on Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Zhaki said Biden had “urged Russia to reduce tensions with Ukraine,” and the president made it clear that the United States and its allies and partners would respond decisively if Russia invaded Ukraine further. “
“President Biden expressed his support for diplomacy at the NATO-Russia Council on NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe at the Bilateral Stability Dialogue early next year.” Psaki writes. “President Biden reiterated that significant progress in these conversations will only occur in the context of an escalation rather than an increase.”
Putin warned Pita that it was a “big mistake”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told US President Joe Biden that Ukraine’s introduction of a new round of sanctions against Russia would be a “grave mistake” that could lead to a complete breakdown of relations between the two countries, Presidential Assistant Yuri Ushakov.
In talks with Putin, Biden noted that if the Russian military presence on the border with Ukraine continues to increase, Western nations will impose large-scale sanctions on Russia’s economy, military and financial sectors, Ushakov later told reporters at a conference call. Presidency. Speaks.
Putin responded: “If the West decides to introduce these unprecedented sanctions mentioned above, all of this will completely sever ties between the two countries and severely damage Russia’s relations with the West,” Ushakov said.
“Of course, the president noted that this was a mistake that our descendants would later describe as a big mistake.
Ushakov described the goal of today’s dialogue between the presidents as “finding a common ground on issues about ourselves” and “being good, constructive and transparent.”
Putin demanded a phone call this week, citing US officials. The last time Putin and Putin spoke was on December 7. In the video conference that ended with the dedication of Restart diplomatic negotiations Not to mention that Russia is ready to defuse tensions.
Since then, 100,000 Russian troops have been concentrated on the Ukrainian border, despite warnings from Biden and European leaders about the dire consequences of Putin’s invasion. U.S. officials say Moscow is conducting a major campaign to undermine the Ukrainian government ahead of the country’s national elections.
Biden hopes that Thursday’s phone call from his home in Delaware at 3:30 pm (Miami time) will allow progress to be made in reducing tensions. U.S. officials have told Putin that there is a way out of the conflict and austerity sanctions that Western nations are prepared to implement. Impose if Russian troops cross the border.
The United States and Russia begin talks in Geneva
Conversations take place about two weeks ago US and Russian ambassadors meet in Geneva to discuss current crisis Prior to those talks, Russia had publicly provided a list of security concerns and demands, including a pledge that Ukraine would never be allowed to join NATO and that no military equipment would be placed there. In its former Soviet states.
The United States has prepared a list of its own concerns, a senior U.S. government official told reporters Wednesday, but did not plan to make it public. On the contrary, Biden’s advisers believe it would be more effective to keep the talks private.
Sources close to the matter say that the US delegation will be led by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman during the January 10 talks. Biden and Putin were not expected to participate on their own. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryapkov will chair the Russian delegation. Pentagon and National Security Council officials will also attend the U.S. talks, a senior executive said Wednesday.
Following the direct talks between the United States and Russia, wide-ranging meetings between NATO and Russia, as well as a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, will discuss various topics.
Dedication to allies
The United States has promised to provide information to Western European countries and Ukraine when Biden talks with Putin at the diplomatic level. Foreign Secretary Anthony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Gelensky on Wednesday and said White House officials were in almost daily contact with their counterparts in the UK, France and Germany to coordinate their approach.
As part of an integrated approach, the United States was able to persuade its allies to prepare a set of tough sanctions, including some of Putin’s key allies. U.S. officials say the punishment will be more severe than the sanctions imposed when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
An official said the United States also plans to strengthen NATO’s strength in Eastern Europe if Russia invades Ukraine, and the country is ready to provide more assistance to Ukraine to defend itself if needed.
Since Biden last spoke to Putin, Russia has shown no signs of easing its stance on the border with Ukraine, although a senior executive has said the situation is very fluid.
“In our view, this is not entirely consistent,” the official said. “What the Russians have on that border and around it is a continuing source of concern.”
Troops are concentrated on the border with Ukraine
Officials have previously said the Russian structure includes troops, artillery, vehicles and supply lines. Earlier this week, Russia announced the withdrawal of 10,000 troops from its regular forces. But U.S. officials suggested the move was not a major mitigation.
Meanwhile, the United States maintains its own position in the region. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as part of an effort to reassure European allies, called on carrier Harry S. He ordered Truman and its submarines to stay in the Mediterranean without heading east.
The U.S. Air Force carried out two reconnaissance missions in eastern Ukraine this week. A source familiar with the mission told CNN that the first happened on Monday and the second happened shortly before the meeting between Biden and Putin on Thursday.
Anna Chernova, Natasha Bertrand and Kevin Liptack
