“The two presidents agreed on the importance of continuing diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders,” the White House said.
She added that Biden reiterated during the call his promise of a “quick and decisive” response from the United States, in coordination with its allies, in the event of a Russian attack, reiterating his support for “Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
This contact is part of an ongoing diplomatic effort to try to calm tensions over Ukraine, with Westerners continuing to accuse Moscow of preparing to invade that country.
But senior US officials reiterated, Sunday, that the Russians may attack Ukraine “at any time”, the day after a phone call between Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin did not produce “optimism” signs, they said.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told “Fox” that the phone call between the two presidents “certainly did not show that things were going in the right direction,” adding, “There is no indication that Putin has any intention of de-escalation.”
For his part, National Security Adviser at the White House, Jake Sullivan, told CNN, “Ten days ago, we noticed an acceleration in the reinforcements of Russian forces and their positioning more near the border, and military action could happen very quickly.”
He added that the attack “could happen this week,” saying “it is likely to start with missile strikes and intense bombing”, followed by “movements of ground forces.”