Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, April 13, urging him to reduce tensions along the Russian-Ukrainian border and suggesting the two sides hold a summit to resolve a series of disputes, but neither the White House nor Kremlin statements mentioned Putin’s response.
According to Reuters, Biden called Putin on April 13 out of concern over the crisis in Ukraine and suggested the two leaders meet in a third country, while reiterating the U.S. commitment to preserving Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It was Biden’s second conversation with Putin since he took office in January.
A statement released by the White House reads, “Biden made clear that the U.S. government will stand firm in defense of its national interests. Biden also expressed concern about Russia’s sudden troop buildup on the borders of Crimea and Ukraine, which it occupies, and called on Russia to lower tensions.
Biden again reiterated his goal of a stable and predictable relationship with Russia and suggested meeting with Putin in the coming months to address a range of issues facing the two countries.”
A subsequent statement released by the Kremlin claimed, in turn, that Biden informed Putin that the United States wants to normalize relations with Russia and is willing to work with Russia on issues such as arms control, Iran’s nuclear program, Afghanistan and climate change. The Kremlin’s also confirmed that Biden suggested a high-level summit between the two sides, but did not mention Putin’s response.
Andrew Weiss, an expert on Russia at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, said Biden’s call to Putin shows the U.S. government is concerned about the situation in Ukraine and wants to work with Russia in areas where the two countries have common interests.
He said, “There is an urgent need to send a message directly to Putin that what Russia is doing in and around Ukraine is dangerous and destabilizing (and will jeopardize relations between the two countries), even if other parts of the U.S. government try not to cancel cooperation between the two countries on issues like the Iran nuclear deal, Afghanistan, climate change and strategic stability. “
Western officials have urged Russia to end its military buildup on the Ukrainian border, and in response, Russia says its move will prevent U.S. warships from entering the Crimea region, the report said.
Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014. While skirmishes between Ukrainian government forces and the Russian-backed Ukrainian autonomous government forces have never ceased over the past seven years, they have intensified in recent weeks due to renewed fighting in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian government says the dispute has killed 14,000 people.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Takes Strong Statement
The U.S. government sent two warships to the Black Sea this week in response to a massive Russian troop surge on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Before Biden’s call to Putin, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov made a strong statement on April 13 that the United States is Russia’s enemy and warned U.S. troops to stay away from Crimea and the Black Sea.
He also claimed that U.S. warships going to the Black Sea are provoking Russia.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu declared on 13 May that NATO is ready to deploy 40,000 troops and 15,000 weapons and equipment on Russia’s border. The deployment is mainly in the Black Sea region and the Balkans.
He claimed that Russia has moved two troops and three paratrooper brigades to the Russian-Ukrainian border in the past three weeks in response to this NATO initiative. While the Ukrainian government said April 13 that Russia has added 80,000 troops to the eastern border of Ukraine and Crimea and is continuing to increase its forces.
NATO has denied that it is increasing its troops in the Black Sea and Balkans.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who discussed the crisis in Ukraine with NATO leaders and Ukraine’s foreign minister in Brussels on April 13, said he would discuss his intention to bring Ukraine into NATO, although France and Germany have been very hesitant to do so for fear that such a move would anger Russia.
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