Russia – Ukraine Conflict: Putin, Biden spoke on phone call
With the threat of war looming, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden held a high-stakes phone call Saturday as the world watched and feared that an invasion of Ukraine could begin within days.
According to the Associated Press, President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone on Saturday in what could be a last-ditch effort to avert a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Putin attempted to schedule the call for Monday, but Biden requested on Friday that it be held as soon as possible. Biden was at Camp David at the time of the call. According to The New York Post, Saturday’s call was Biden and Putin’s first direct conversation since December.
Prior to speaking with Biden, Putin had a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, who met with him earlier this week in Moscow to try to resolve the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. According to a Kremlin summary of the call, little progress was made toward lowering tensions.
U. S., UK urges their citizens to leave Ukraine, preparing for the worst-case scenario. Russia has assembled several thousands of troops near Ukraine’s border. The Kremlin denies any military action against its neighbour. Russian Defense Ministry summons U.S. military attache after submarine detected in Russian waters.
Germany, Netherlands and Italy also urge their citizens to leave as soon as possible. Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014. The U.S. Army is shifting 1,000 soldiers from Germany to Romania, which shares a border with Ukraine.
