Joe Biden to speak to Ukrainian President Zelensky amid escalating tensions with Russia

A White House official stated that United States' President Joe Biden will have a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on January 2, amid a Russian military buildup on the Ukraine border and escalating tensions, according to CNN News. The call comes just days before Russian and US officials are scheduled to meet in person in Geneva on January 10.

Prior to a call earlier this week, Zelensky met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Biden administration has recently pushed Russia to scale back its military buildup along Ukraine's border. In his call with Putin on Friday, Biden said he made it clear that if Russia invades Ukraine, there will be a severe price to pay.

CNN News reported citing a White House official, saying, Biden "plans to speak by phone with President Zelensky of Ukraine on Sunday to reaffirm US support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, discuss Russia's military build-up on Ukraine's borders, and review preparations for upcoming diplomatic engagements to help de-escalate the situation in the region." 

US, NATO worried over Russia's intention to invade Ukraine

The United States and NATO have expressed worry over Russia's suspected plans to invade Ukraine. Moscow has frequently refuted the allegations, claiming that Russia has the right to transfer troops within its borders at its own discretion and that NATO military operations near Russia's borders pose a security danger.

According to US and Russian sources, the 50-minute phone call between Biden and Putin did not result in any major breakthroughs, but it did set the tone for the future in-person diplomatic talks. Putin has agreed to three future conferences in Europe, according to Biden, including US-Russia diplomatic discussions on January 10 in Geneva, led by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, and Russia-NATO meetings on January 12.

Biden encouraged Putin to take steps to calm the crisis on Russia's border with Ukraine during the conversation on Thursday, warning of catastrophic economic consequences if Putin goes forward with an invasion. According to a Kremlin aide, Putin told Biden that imposing further sanctions on Russia would be a colossal blunder that might lead to a complete breakdown of relations between the two countries.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP