Biden and Zelensky discussed Donbass and countering Russian aggression
US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed ways to resolve the Donbas settlement during an hour and a half. As stated in the office of the Ukrainian president, Biden assured Zelensky of the readiness of the United States for new sanctions against Russia in the event of its invasion of Ukraine. Biden also held two-hour talks with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
“The US President introduced me to the talks with Vladimir Putin. We also discussed possible formats for resolving the conflict in Donbass. We touched upon the course of internal reform in Ukraine, ”Zelenskiy wrote on Twitter on Thursday evening.
The main issue was the situation in eastern Ukraine, the Zelenskiy administration said in a statement.
“The head of the Ukrainian state thanked Joseph Biden for his consistent, firm and decisive support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state and reaffirmed his adamant determination to find ways to peace in Donbas,” the Ukrainian president’s office said.
“President Biden said the United States and our European allies are aggressive actions of Russia against Ukraine and said that the United States and our allies will give a strong response in the form of economic and other measures in the event of a new military invasion.” […] President Biden assured that the United States and its allies are committed to the principle “there is no solution and negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation,” the short committee said. White House press release about the conversation between Biden and Zelensky.
The head of Zelensky’s administration, Andriy Yermak, on the air of a Ukrainian television program, spoke about some of the details of the conversation.
“Biden told Putin very frankly and warned about all the consequences if the Kremlin decided to escalate around the Ukrainian borders before the invasion of Ukraine,” Yermak said. to unprecedented sanctions should this happen. ”
In addition, according to the head of the presidential office, the United States can “give any rebuff at any time.”
The leaders also discussed energy security and reforms in Ukraine.
Negotiations with Putin and the threat of invasion
Joe Biden had a two-hour video chat with Vladimir Putin earlier this week. The topic was also the situation in Donbass in the light of the accumulation of troops on the border with Ukraine.
Ukrainian intelligence believes Russia could launch a full-scale offensive against Ukraine. The United States has repeatedly stated that it is ready to take tough measures against the Russian offensive if sanctions are taken against Russia.
Russia has consistently denied such plans.
As a result of the conversation, the White House reported that Biden had warned Putin about the consequences in the event of a Russian attack. Later, Biden’s security adviser Jake Sullivan clarified that the United States is ready to take steps “which we did not take in 2014.”
Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak added that among the issues discussed by the presidents was the topic of Ukraine’s course towards NATO membership.
“Biden said very clearly that he was not even ready to discuss this issue in NATO,” he said.