The conversation lasted about an hour and a half.
(Photo: AP)
Washington, Kiev Two days after his video summit with Russian head of state Vladimir Putin, US President Joe Biden telephoned Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyi and promised him the support of the United States. The White House subsequently announced that Biden had reaffirmed the US’s “unshakable” commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The US president has also made it clear that the United States and its partners have no plans to have any discussions or decisions about Ukraine without involving Kiev. Biden also stated again that the US government was ready to mediate in the conflict.
According to the American and Ukrainian governments, the conversation lasted about an hour and a half. The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andrij Jermak, said afterwards to the TV channel 1 + 1: “Today we can safely say that the USA has made the decision to be an active participant in the peace process.”
Biden had assured Selenskyj that the US would impose “unprecedented sanctions” on Russia in the event of military aggression against Ukraine. The conversation took place in a “very open and direct atmosphere”.
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Recently, NATO reports about a concentration of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border had caused international concern. Russia repeatedly refused to plan an attack on Ukraine.
>> Read an assessment of our Russia correspondent here: Five reasons why President Vladimir Putin is risking the escalation in Ukraine
On Tuesday, Biden spoke to Putin about the conflict via video conference. The US President threatened Putin with “strong economic measures” by the US and its European allies in the event of a Russian invasion and announced that in such a case Ukraine would arm even further and strengthen NATO partners on the eastern flank.
On Thursday, Biden also spoke in a separate group session with the heads of state and government of nine other countries in the region: Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The White House then announced that the US President had underscored the United States’ commitment to transatlantic security in the telephone conversation and had agreed to work closely with the transatlantic partners in the conflict.
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