conflict
Biden warns Putin against intervention in Ukraine
US President Joe Biden warns Russia against military action against Ukraine. Photo: Evan Vucci / AP / dpa
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Ukraine fears a major Russian invasion. Biden is now warning Putin of this. The two heads of state may want to speak soon.
US President Joe Biden has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against a military intervention in Ukraine and announced new initiatives to protect the Eastern European country.
“What I am doing now is to put together what I believe to be the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr Putin to move forward and do what people are concerned that he might do,” said Biden, according to CNN in Washington.
Blinken speaks of evidence
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said last week that there was evidence that Russia had drawn up plans for “major aggressive steps against Ukraine”. The evidence has not yet been on the table. According to information that has not yet been denied, Russia has, however, concentrated a large number of troops in areas not far from the border with Ukraine.
“We have long been aware of Russia’s actions and I expect we will have a long discussion,” said Biden, according to the White House press office. He added that he would not accept any “red lines” from Putin.
Putin’s role
Russia annexed the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014 after the violent overthrow of the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Since then, Moscow-backed rebels have been fighting the pro-Western government in Kiev in the east of the country.
The Russian government is currently preparing an online meeting between Putin and Biden. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said that this could happen after Putin’s trip to India was planned for this Monday. The date and time still have to be agreed with Washington. According to the Kremlin, the conversation will focus on Ukraine and developments in Afghanistan.