WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin during a videoconference Tuesday that invading Ukraine would result in stiff economic sanctions from the U.S. and several European allies.
The virtual meeting, the second time the two leaders have held direct talks since their June summit in Geneva, arose after Putin mobilized some 100,000 Russian forces on the country’s border with Ukraine, sparking new fears about an invasion.
“President Biden voiced the deep concerns of the United States and our European Allies about Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine and made clear that the U.S. and our Allies would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation,” according to a statement released by the White House after the conference.
During their meeting, Biden reiterated his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy. “The two presidents tasked their teams to follow up, and the U.S. will do so in close coordination with allies and partners,” the statement said.
The two world leaders also discussed U.S. and Russian long-term work on arms control, ransomware, and joint efforts on regional issues like Iran.
Putin has sought assurances that NATO won’t make Ukraine a member of the long-standing alliance, which has 30 current member countries, including the U.S. Membership would essentially guarantee the former Soviet republic’s military defense.
While Biden has rejected any of Putin’s “red lines” and expressed support for Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty, he has shown little interest in fully backing its potential NATO membership. The president, even as he has sought to strengthen democratic alliances, has appeared wary of the U.S. taking on additional global defense responsibilities as he focuses on shoring up the American economy and re-orienting alliances around the containment of China.
But he is hoping to dissuade Putin from escalating the simmering military conflict along the Russia-Ukraine border. Ahead of his discussion with Putin, Biden conferred with top European allies Monday evening about the far-reaching economic sanctions any invasion would trigger.
“The leaders underscored their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the White House said in a statement summarizing the call. “They agreed that their teams will stay in close touch, including in consultation with NATO allies and EU partners, on a coordinated and comprehensive approach.”
To that end, Biden planned to debrief with the top four European leaders on another call Tuesday evening to update allies on the nature of his talks with Putin, the White House said.
Ukraine won independence after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. It has since sought to strengthen ties with Europe. After the ouster of Russian-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Putin seized the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014, and tensions have remained high.
