“The leaders discussed their recent diplomatic engagements with Ukraine and Russia. They also reviewed ongoing diplomatic efforts to contain Russia’s ongoing military build-up near Ukraine’s borders and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They discussed efforts to strengthen the defensive posture on NATO’s eastern flank and emphasized continued close coordination among allies and partners, including a willingness to impose severe sanctions on Russia should it decide to continue its military escalation,” the White House said in a statement.
The press service of the British government clarifies that Johnson and Biden agreed that Russia still has a diplomatic “window” to abandon its threats against Ukraine.
“The leaders stressed that any further invasion of Ukraine would lead to a protracted crisis for Russia, with far-reaching damage to both the Russian Federation and the world. They agreed that Western allies must remain united in the face of threats from Russia, including the imposition of “a significant package of sanctions in the event of an escalation of Russian aggression. They also confirmed the need to reduce the dependence of European countries on Russian gas. This step, more than any other, will strike at Russia’s strategic interests,” the ministry said.
Spring 2021 Russia began to increase the number of troops near the border with Ukraine and in the occupied Crimea, explaining this by military exercises. After several weeks of tension, the Russian Federation partially withdrew units to their places of permanent deployment.
At the end of October, American media reported that Russia was once again draws troops to the border with Ukraine. Later, the leaders of Western countries repeatedly announced the threat of a new invasion from the Russian Federation.
The White House announced on January 18, 2022 that Russia can at any time start an invasion of Ukraine. On February 11, according to The Guardian, Biden during a video conference with leaders of several states said that Russia may attack Ukraine in the coming days.
At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities believe that Western countries exaggerate the danger.
On January 24, after the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, which considered, in particular, issues of national security, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that “everything is calm, there is no reason to panic”. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexei Danilov on the same day said that a full-scale invasion of Russia now impossible.
11 February a number of countries, including USAcalled on their citizens to urgently leave Ukraine due to a likely escalation.
February 12 Biden, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron held emergency talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. How reported in the Kremlin, during the conversation Presidents of Russia and France Putin said that Western countries do not want to “push the Kiev authorities to the implementation of the Minsk agreements.”
Macron, after a conversation with Putin, spoke with Zelensky by phone. The president Ukraine informedthat he spoke with his interlocutor about the security situation and ways to intensify the peace process within the framework of the Normandy Four and the trilateral contact group to resolve the conflict in Donbas.
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