US, France, Germany and UK reaffirm support for Ukraine amid tensions with Russia

Reaffirming support for Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss. According to a press release, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the four ministers discussed the importance of continued coordination to deter any further Russian aggression against Ukraine. They affirmed the consensus among allies and partners to impose “massive consequences and severe costs” on Moscow for such action, Price said. 

“They discussed the importance of continued coordination to deter any further Russian aggression against Ukraine and affirmed the consensus among Allies and partners to impose massive consequences and severe costs on Russia for such actions.  They reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” read the press release. 

Blinken’s phone call with French, German and UK Foreign Ministers comes ahead of scheduled talks between US and Russia on arms control and Ukraine. Additionally, negotiations on security guarantees with NATO are expected to take place on January 12 in Geneva. Notably, the telephone call also comes ahead of a phone call between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday to discuss a range of topics, including Ukraine tensions. 

'No substitute for direct-leader dialogues' when it comes to Russia

According to a senior Biden administration official, the US President believes that “when it comes to Russia there is no substitute for direct-leader dialogues”. During the call, Biden will make clear to Putin that there is a diplomatic path to de-escalate tensions in the region if only the Russian leader is interested in talking. The official informed that Biden plans to preview the upcoming bilateral talks between Washington and Moscow set to take place on January 10. Biden will make it clear to Putin that the US will continue to coordinate closely with its allies and partners on all matters. 

“And we will proceed on the principle of noting about them without them,” the senior official added. 

Biden has repeatedly highlighted concerns of the US and its European allies about the increase in deployment of Russian forces surrounding Ukraine. Putin, on the other hand, has voiced rising vexation over Western military aid to Ukraine, a fellow former USSR that has tilted towards the West since a revolt toppled a pro-Russian president in 2014, and what it calls creeping NATO expansion. Moscow has even questioned Ukrainian intentions and has said that it wants guarantees that Kyiv will not use force to try to retake territory lost in 2014 to Russia-backed separatists.   

(Image: AP)