Timeline of US-Russia tensions as Biden-Putin talk amid speculations of Ukraine invasion

The relations between the US and Russia have sunk to their lowest since the end of the Cold War. In recent months, the two sides have been blaming one another for escalating tensions near the Ukraine border, where Russia has allegedly deployed short-range ballistic missile systems, tanks and other armoured vehicles in an attempt to invade the former Soviet nation. While US President Joe Biden has repeatedly threatened his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of economic consequences, Moscow on the other hand has refuted the allegations and blamed Ukraine and the US for escalating tensions. 

Now, amid soaring diplomatic relations, on Thursday, US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held their latest phone call aimed at defusing tensions surrounding the Ukrainian border conflict. Therefore, here’s a look at the timeline of escalating tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine. 

Timeline of US-Russia tensions

After taking office earlier this year, Joe Biden had given a tough speech, ditching his predecessor Donald Trump’s muted approach to Moscow and Putin for whom Trump had voiced admiration. Biden had said that he made it clear to Putin that the days of the US “rolling over in the face of Russia’s aggressive actions, interfering with elections, cyber-attacks and poisoning citizens are over." Kremlin, on the other hand, had slammed the newly minted US President’s “very aggressive and unconstructive rhetoric".

This had sparked the biggest crisis between the nations in years, with Moscow recalling its ambassador and warning that ties were on the brink of outright “collapse”. Then, in April, in a bid to cool tensions, Biden and Putin held a telephonic call. During the phone call, Biden said that he was “clear” with Putin that the US is not looking to kick off a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia. The US President proposed a summit to discuss the threat of military force on Ukraine, the treatment of jailed Putin opponent Alexei Navalny, and other flashpoints.

Before the summit in June, Biden said that the US will push the Kremlin on its human rights record. On the eve of the summit, Biden even called Putin “tough” and a “worth adversary”. The two leaders agreed to return ambassadors to each other's capitals. While Putin had said that he sensed “no animosity”, Biden, on the other hand, agreed that the talks had been constructive. 

Tensions then escalated in November as Ukraine claimed that Russia is massing 100,000 troops on its border. Putin denied the plans to invade Ukraine, however, he also said that he wants the United States to promise that Ukraine will never join NATO. Washington accused Russia of blocking a solution to the conflict, with Biden saying that the US will never accept the annexation of Crimea. 

But Russia continued to deny the plans of the Ukrainian invasion. It said that Ukrainian leaders are trying to drag Moscow into the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Amid the rising tensions, Biden and Putin then held a two-hour virtual summit in early December. During the video conference, Biden warned Putin of “strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation" in Ukraine.

In response, Putin called for guarantees of a freeze on NATO's expansion. Later, on 17 December, Russia then unveiled proposals to contain the US and NATO in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, calling for urgent negotiations with Washington. The US said it is ready to talk in consultation with the EU.

In the following days, Putin then warned that Russia is prepared to take "military-technical measures" in response to "unfriendly" Western actions over the Ukraine conflict. In response, the US condemned the closure of the prominent rights group Memorial International by Russia's Supreme Court.

On Thursday, the Russian President again warned the US counterpart of cutting ties if the West decides to impose sanctions on Moscow over the situation developing in Ukraine. On the other hand, Biden warned Putin about the new financial, military and economic sanctions against Russia in case the tensions near the Ukrainian border escalated. In return, Putin conveyed to Biden that such sanctions by the US would be met with serious consequences. 

Image: AP