US will ‘respond decisively’ if Russia invades Ukraine, says Biden in phone call with Zelensky
The United States and
its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia invades Ukraine, U.S.
President Joe Biden said in a telephone call on Jan. 2 with his Ukrainian
counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House has said in a statement.
According to an official statement published on White House website, the two leaders agreed that the situation regarding the threatening troop buildup by Russia on Ukraine’s borders should be resolved through diplomatic efforts – including at NATO and OSCE talks with Russia scheduled for next week.
Biden reiterated the commitment of the United States and its partners and allies to the key principle of “no talks about you without you,” the White House statement read. Biden also reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The U.S. president added that he supported “confidence-building measures” aimed at de-escalating tensions in Ukraine’s Donbas region, as well as active diplomacy to advance the Minsk Agreements via the Normandy format of talks between Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany.
Zelensky, in turn, said the two presidents had discussed joint initiatives by Ukraine, the United States, and its allies to preserve peace in Europe.
Among other topics the leaders also discussed were reform and deoligarchisation in Ukraine, Zelensky said, according to a posting on the official website of the president of Ukraine.
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