Biden threatens Putin with “strong economic” sanctions in the Ukraine conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US colleague Joe Biden
Source: AP / Mikhail Metzel
In the roughly two-hour video summit with his Russian counterpart, US President Joe Biden threatened Vladimir Putin with “strong economic” sanctions in the Ukraine conflict, according to the White House. He also called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.
UAt the video summit with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin, S President Joe Biden threatened consequences in the event of an escalation in the Ukraine conflict, according to the White House. The White House said after the talks on Tuesday that Biden had expressed “the deep concern of the United States and our European allies” about the crisis. At the same time, he made it clear that “the USA and our allies would react with strong economic and other measures in the event of a military escalation”.
The White House also said that Biden had reiterated its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.
The video summit was overshadowed by massive tensions in the Ukraine conflict. Originally, a longer exchange was expected. The Kremlin had previously stated that, given the multitude of conflict issues, it could be a very long conversation.
NATO is alarmed by reports of alleged Russian plans to attack Ukraine. Moscow, on the other hand, rejects the accusation of aggression and in return accuses Ukraine of having deployed more than 120,000 soldiers on the line to the eastern Ukrainian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Biden consults with Merkel, Macron, Johnson and Draghi
After his conversation with Putin, Biden wanted to consult with the outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, the French President Emmanuel Macron, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, as the White House announced. In a conversation the day before, the allies had already agreed to “stay in close contact with one another in order to develop a coordinated and comprehensive approach to responding to Russia’s military rearmament at the borders of Ukraine”.
Even before Biden’s switch with Putin, the US had threatened the government in Moscow with serious consequences in the event of a military escalation in the Ukraine conflict. The costs would turn out to be very high, “should Russia decide in favor of such an approach,” said a US government official. Putin would then have to reckon with “considerable economic countermeasures by both the Europeans and the United States”.
While the White House initially did not broadcast any TV images of the summit, Russian state television showed Putin at his desk in front of a screen on Tuesday. “Good to see you again,” Biden said in greeting. Unfortunately, the Kremlin chief was not at the G20 summit in Rome at the end of October. Next time he wants to meet Putin personally again, said the US President.
Conversation over a secure line
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov emphasized that the summit did not lead to any “breakthroughs”. It is about “a work meeting at a very difficult time”. A few hours before the switch, which was therefore led via a specially protected and tap-proof line, warnings had come from Moscow again with a view to Ukraine.
“Russia has no plans to attack anyone, but we have our fears and our” red lines, “” Peskov said before the video summit. Last week, Putin said that the relocation of NATO’s military infrastructure to Ukraine could represent such a “red line” from a Russian point of view. The Kremlin chief spoke out in favor of a written end to NATO’s eastward expansion.
As heads of state, Putin and Biden first met personally in Geneva in June. The video summit on Tuesday should also focus on cybersecurity in both countries as well as the Iranian nuclear program and other international conflicts.