Putin and Biden are scheduled to meet later on Tuesday, virtually via closed-circuit television, and its main topic will be Russian military activities, on the border with Ukraine, amid fears of a military invasion targeting the latter.
The White House said in a statement that Biden raised the leaders of France, Britain, Germany and Italy with “shared concerns” about Russia’s military build-up on Ukraine’s borders, as well as escalating Russian stinging rhetoric.
Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi reiterated their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called on Russia to reduce tension.
western design
For his part, the Elysee said in a statement that the five Western leaders “expressed their determination that the sovereignty” of Ukraine “should be respected”, according to Agence France-Presse.
The French presidency added in a statement that the five leaders also “expressed their commitment to work to maintain peace and security in Europe.”
She stressed that the leaders “remind the need for Russia to re-engage in negotiations with Ukraine, within the framework of the “Normandy” group, under the auspices of France and Germany.
first message
It seems that this summit comes within the framework of another firm Western message to Russia, after a senior White House official confirmed that the United States is ready to impose economic sanctions and increase its military presence in Eastern Europe if Russia launches an attack on Ukraine.
The official explained that if Ukraine were to be invaded by Russia, the United States would prefer to work on a “combination of several elements” that includes “support for the Ukrainian army”, “imposing strong economic sanctions” and “a significant increase in support for our NATO allies and improvement of their capabilities,” according to the official. France Press agency”.
Summit agenda
The Kremlin had said earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden would review, in a video call, the progress made in relations since the Geneva summit.
The Russian presidency’s statement described relations between Moscow and Washington as in a “deplorable” state.
On the eve of the meeting, the White House stated that at the summit, the US president would confirm US concerns regarding Russian military activities on the border with Ukraine and would also affirm US support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He explained that Biden will also discuss with his Russian counterpart 3 main issues: strategic stability in the world and between the two countries, cyber security, and regional issues.
Last June, the two leaders met for the first time since Biden took office in Switzerland at a summit described as “historic”.
‘Worrying indications’
The US Associated Press expected that the upcoming “video” summit later Tuesday would be “tense”, due to the boiling situation on the Ukrainian border.
Western indicators have increased that talk about the possibility of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the most recent in this context was what the Washington Post revealed about Moscow’s efforts to launch a massive military attack on Ukraine early next year, with the participation of about 175,000 soldiers.
On the other hand, Russia denies that it is seeking to invade Ukraine, pointing out that its military moves do not threaten anyone, and at the same time it talks about increasing “Western provocations”, especially in the Black Sea region, which represents it.
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