Joe Biden, European leaders reaffirm support to Ukraine amid potential Russian invasion

Amidst escalating tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border, US President Joe Biden held a meeting with several European leaders and reiterated his support to Kyiv. As reports of a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine floated in the media, the American leader vowed his "unwavering support" for Ukraine and also wanted Russia for possible sanctions if it crossed the border. The meet, which took place on December 6, marked the attendance of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi and the outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

During the meeting, the leaders agreed that recent meetings of the G20 and of NATO Foreign Ministers had been useful forums for discussions on this issue. A spokesperson for the British administration later confirmed the same and said, “They (the leaders) emphasised the need to provide a united front in the face of Russian threats and hostility."

"The leaders called on Russia to de-escalate tensions and reaffirmed their staunch support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity," the spokesperson said. 

"The Prime Minister reiterated the points he made to President Putin when they spoke earlier this year in this regard, and which the Foreign Secretary also made to her Russian counterpart last week,” he added. 

What is happening at the border?

Russia’s 41st army has been stationed in Yelnya, a town 260 kilometres north of the Ukrainian border. Moreover, recent satellite imagery reveals increased military activity from Russia's 144th Guards Motorized Rifle Division, according to a defence ministry’s statement. The Kremlin blamed the United States joint military exercises in the Black Sea behind Russia’s provocation. “What we see is a significant, large Russian military build-up. We see an unusual concentration of troops. And we know that Russia has been willing to use these types of military capabilities before to conduct aggressive actions against Ukraine,” Stoltenberg had earlier said at a conference. 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also laid bare the possibility of a Russian invasion, citing Ukrainian intelligence services. Last week, NATO  Chief Jens Stoltenberg cautioned the international community against Moscow’s “unclear intentions.” “There is no certainty, no clarity about exactly what are the Russian intentions, and they may evolve and change,” the NATO chief said. To back his stance, he highlighted the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014 and said, “They’ve done it before." 

(Image: AP)