Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin to hold telephonic conversation today amid Russia-Ukraine crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday is scheduled to engage in phonic conversation with his American counterpart Joe Biden amid mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine. According to Russian media reports, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday, the virtual meeting will be held between the two presidents "in the evening (as per) Moscow time." However, Peskov stressed that the request for the phone call "was preceded by a written appeal from the US side."

"Indeed, the US side has asked for a conversation with President Putin, and tomorrow, evening, Moscow time, the two presidents are scheduled to have a conversation," said Dmitry Peskov quoted as saying on Friday by RIA Novosti agency.

The announcement comes following a White House readout, which stated that US President Biden will hold a telephone call with "a number of allies," including leaders of Germany, France, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and European Union (EU) chiefs. The leaders will focus on the Russian military aggression along the eastern borders of Europe, the Donbas region, where Moscow has amassed over 1,35,000 troops.

It is to mention that Biden and Putin last spoke in December. In the same month, they also held a video conference, where Putin laid out a list of security guarantees, demanding assurance from the US and NATO against the inclusion of Kyiv into the international military alliance. However, in January, both the US and NATO refused to comply with the demands forwarded by the Kremlin, saying that every country has the right to choose its own security arrangements.

The developments were followed by the US State Department on Friday issuing a statement, urging all Americans to evacuate Ukraine in the next 24-48 hours, US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan said. He added, if Americans stay, they "are assuming risk with no guarantee that there will be any other opportunity to leave and no prospect of a US military evacuation in the evening of a Russian invasion," CNN quoted Sullivan, as saying. Meanwhile, the US has decided to send 3,000 more troops to Poland amid the tense situation along the Ukraine-Russia border, with the West alarmed over a potential invasion of Kyiv "any time now.".

Biden discusses 'coordinated efforts' with Transatlantic leaders to deter Russian aggression

Meanwhile, on February 11, US President Biden held a "secure video call" with leaders of Transatlantic nations. According to a White House statement, participants in the call included Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian PM Mario Draghi, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, Polish President Klaus Iohannis of Romania, British PM Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron, who completed a diplomatic mission to Moscow last Tuesday. The leaders at the virtual conference agreed on the importance of coordinated efforts to deter "further Russian aggression" against Ukraine, including "readiness to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs" on Moscow, should there be a military escalation. Jointly, the heads of states also expressed their desire for a "diplomatic solution" to the crisis.

(Image: AP)