Washington, February 13:
US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a “professional and substantive” phone conversation on Saturday, but there has been no change in the fundamental dynamics of Russian escalation along Ukraine’s borders and there remains a possibility of Russian invasion, according to a senior US administration official.
A White House statement on the call said that Biden spoke to Putin about “Russia’s escalating military buildup” and was clear that if Russia undertook a “further invasion” of Ukraine, the US – along with allies and partners – would “respond decisively” and “impose swift and severe costs” on Russia.
The statement added that Biden reiterated a Russian invasion would “produce widespread human suffering and diminish Russia’s standing”. Biden also told Putin, according to the White House, that while the US was prepared to engage in diplomacy, it was “equally prepared” for other scenarios.
The call lasted for a little over an hour, and took place in the wake of increased US concerns about the possibility of Russian action in Ukraine.
On Friday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that US had intelligence that an invasion could take place even during the Winter Olympic Games, contrary to the perception that any Russian action would only happen after the Games. Russia has denied any plans to invade Ukraine and consistently blamed the US for whipping up a hysteria.
The senior administration official quoted above said that the US had put on the table ideas that would meet their interests, the interests of their allies, enhance European security, address some of Russia’s concerns and safeguard Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty.
The official added that the US would continue to pursue the path of both diplomacy and deterrence and claimed that Russian actions had already eroded its standing.
“Their efforts to improve their strategic position are failing and this will only get exacerbated though military action.”
He added that the West was more united now than it had been for a long time; Nato was stronger and more purposeful; Russia was finding itself more isolated and more dependent on China; it was on the defensive in the information space; and a military invasion would result in severe costs and “irreparable reputational costs”, given it was a “war of choice”, and profoundly damage European security, Ukraine and Russia itself. The choice, US officials reiterated, was for Russia to make.
