Zelensky and Biden discuss security situation over phone
February 14, 2022, 8:18 am

Zelensky and Biden discuss security situation over phone

US president Joe Biden/Official Facebook page

The Xinhua reported, Zelensky's press service said, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden held a telephone conversation on Sunday to discuss the security situation around Ukraine.

A statement on the Ukrainian presidential website said, Zelensky and Biden have exchanged information and discussed ways of de-escalation.

The parties also discussed the issue of increasing Ukraine's financial and energy stability amid the crisis.

Zelensky stressed that Kiev understands all current risks and is ready for "any developments."

The Ukrainian leader thanked Washington for support, saying it contributes to strengthening the capabilities of the Ukrainian army.

Zelensky invited Biden to visit Ukraine "in the coming days," saying that such a visit is crucial to stabilizing the situation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky/Facebook page

Zelensky also stressed the importance of providing effective security guarantees for Kiev.

He stressed: "We are ready to discuss them in different formats."

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According to a statement by the White House, Biden made clear in the phone conversation that the United States would "respond swiftly and decisively, together with its allies and partners, to any further Russian aggression against Ukraine."

The statement added that the two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing to "pursue diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia's military build-up on Ukraine's borders."

Since November, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Russia of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion."

Biden and Zelensky discuss tensions on Ukrainian border over phone

Russia denied the accusation, saying that Russia has the right to mobilize troops within its borders to defend its territory as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's activities constitute a threat to Russia's border security.

In recent days, the United States and some other countries have advised their citizens to leave Ukraine, citing increased threats of military action.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.