On Wednesday the White House announced that U.S. President Joe Biden will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of expected diplomatic talks in January involving Ukraine. Their second call on this topic will occur on Thursday.
“The U.S. and Russia agreed this week to hold talks on Jan. 10, followed by meetings of the Russia-NATO Council on Jan. 12 and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Jan. 13,” Axios reported. “The U.S. and its European allies have threatened Russia with unprecedented sanctions and an increased troop presence on NATO’s eastern flank if Putin moves forward with an invasion of Ukraine.”
Putin has demanded that NATO rule out eastward expansion and all military activity in former Soviet republics. The U.S. has said it will consider Russia’s proposals, but called some of them “unacceptable.”
“The Biden administration has been deliberate about coordinating with its European allies, insisting that any conversations about Europe and Ukraine’s security should not take place without them at the table,” Axios reported. “Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier on Wednesday.”