Russia-Ukraine crisis: Biden & Johnson say there is still 'crucial window' for diplomacy

United States President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have not lost all hope for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine in the face of Russia’s military aggression. Both leaders spoke on phone for around 40 minutes and agreed that a deal was still possible despite repeatedly warning of an impending Russian invasion. Despite amassing more than 100,000 troops on the border, Russia has repeatedly denied any plans of invading Ukraine.

Most recently on Monday, the Russian Foreign Minister had said that diplomacy to resolve Russia-Ukraine tensions was “far from exhausted”. But, according to the official statement by Downing Street about the Biden-Johnson call, both leaders believed that there is a “crucial window” for diplomacy and also for Russia to “step back”. The US and UK leaders agreed that any Russian incursion into Ukraine would result in a “protracted crisis” for Moscow. 

No 10 said in a statement that Johnson and Biden “agreed there remained a crucial window for diplomacy and for Russia to step back from its threats towards Ukraine.”

“The leaders emphasised that any further incursion into Ukraine would result in a protracted crisis for Russia, with far reaching damage for both Russia and the world,” it added.

US, UK leaders think Europe must decrease dependency on Russia

Downing Street also added in the statement that Biden and Johnson agreed that western allies should be united against Russian “threats” such as imposing sanctions. The leaders also reiterated the need for European nations to “reduce their dependence on Russian gas, a move which, more than any other, would strike at the heart of Russia’s strategic interests.”

White House, in a separate statement, just mentioned that both leaders “reviewed ongoing diplomatic and deterrence efforts in response to Russia’s continued military build-up on Ukraine’s borders and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”  Earlier, on Monday, the UK Prime Minister had not only said that "we are on the edge of a precipice" but asserted that there is "still time for President Putin to step back" amid the ongoing crisis. According to him, the situation in eastern Europe is "very very dangerous and difficult".

(Image: AP)