Joe Biden assures US will make it 'very, very difficult' for Russia to attack Ukraine

United States President Joe Biden has said that he would make it “very, very difficult” for Russia to launch any invasion of Ukraine after Kyiv warned that Moscow could be planning a full-blown attack next month.

Both Washington and Kyiv have said that Moscow has ramped up its troops near Ukraine’s border and accused Russia of planning an invasion, an allegation which Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed. Rejecting the reports of potential Russian invasion into Ukraine, Kremlin has raised concerns over NATO’s involvement in the matter.

As per AP, while a video call is expected to take place between Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the US President told the reporters that he was putting together 'the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do'.

Putin to seek assurance precluding NATO’s presence

Meanwhile, Kremlin on Friday said that Putin will be seeking binding assurance precluding NATO's expansion to Ukraine in call with Biden, stated AP. NATO's head and several former US diplomats and security officials have said that Russia's demand to US President to rule out NATO membership for Ukraine is a nonstarter.

Kyiv, a former Soviet republic, is willing to ally with the West. John Herbst, a former US ambassador to Ukraine said, "There’s absolutely no way in the world that that Russian position will make any progress…It’s basically a rhetorical point for Moscow."

According to him, US assurances were more likely that the Western military would assist Ukraine to be for defence only. Russia had seized Crimea from Ukraine back in 2014 and since then, Moscow has supported the separatists fighting Kyiv in the eastern region of the country. The conflict has left thousands of people dead. Recently, Ukraine, US and Western allies have become increasingly concerned about the Russian troop buildup near the Ukrainian border. 

However, officials have also noted that it still remains unclear if the Russian President intends to launch an invasion or appears to be just threatening to force concessions from Ukraine and its western allies. The US, in response, has warned Moscow with the toughest sanctions yet if it launches an attack. Russia has cautioned that any presence of NATO troops and weapons in Ukraine would cross a 'red line'.

(IMAGE: AP)