Biden Talks with Ukrainian President: "Continuing 'Diplomacy and Deterrence' Against Russia"

President Joe Biden of the United States

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Seulgina Jo] Amid escalating tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on the 13th (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for about 50 minutes. This followed a phone negotiation between President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin the previous day, with both leaders agreeing to continue 'diplomacy and deterrence' against Russia.

According to the White House, during the call, President Biden made it clear that if Russia attacks Ukraine, the United States will respond swiftly and decisively alongside its allies and partners.

The White House stated, "President Biden reaffirmed the United States' commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," adding, "The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's border." While they agreed to respond swiftly and decisively if Russia proceeds with the invasion, they also left the door open for diplomatic efforts.

The phone call between President Biden and President Zelensky was officially the third this year.

President Zelensky reportedly reiterated his request for the U.S. to provide more military and financial support to Ukraine. CNN, citing senior Ukrainian and U.S. officials, reported that Zelensky also requested a visit from President Biden to Ukraine, though the likelihood of an actual visit is considered very low. President Biden is also said not to have responded positively.

This call came after President Biden held a 62-minute phone negotiation with President Putin the previous day. Since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, it has recently deployed more than 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border. U.S. intelligence agencies assess that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen at any time.

On the same day, Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, appeared on CNN and warned that a large-scale Russian military action could begin at any moment. He predicted that Russia might launch an attack before the closing of the Beijing Winter Olympics on the 20th. This indirectly revealed that the previous day’s U.S.-Russia summit call yielded little progress.

John Kirby, Pentagon spokesperson, also appeared on Fox News that day and stated that a large-scale Russian military operation could occur at any time. He added that the time for diplomatic progress is rapidly diminishing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.