US Will Respond Decisively and Swiftly to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

US President Joe Biden discussed the increase of Russian forces at the Ukrainian border in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Washington is prepared for both further diplomatic engagement with Moscow and other scenarios for the unfolding events. This was stated in a written announcement issued by the White House press service.

Biden warned that the US would respond decisively and rapidly in the event of a Russian invasion of that country.

“President Biden made it clear to President Putin that while the United States remains open to diplomatic engagement in full coordination with our allies and partners, we are equally prepared for other scenarios,” the statement said.

According to American sources, the conversation between Biden and Putin lasted more than an hour. As previously reported by Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the initiative for the conversation came from Washington, and it was preceded by a written request from the American side.

Prior to this, the presidents of Russia and the US had spoken on the phone at the end of last year, with a video conference held on December 7. Their first face-to-face meeting as heads of state took place in Geneva in June 2021.