Biden urges Putin to seek diplomacy, not war, with Ukraine
LA TimesRussian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with President Biden via a video call in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Dec. 7, 2021. President Biden warned Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a videoconference Tuesday that invading Ukraine would result in stiff economic sanctions from the U.S. and several European allies. “President Biden voiced the deep concerns of the United States and our European Allies about Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine and made clear that the U.S. and our Allies would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation,” according to a readout of the call released by the White House after the conference. Putin, the Kremlin said, “stressed that the responsibility should not be shifted onto the shoulders of Russia, since it is NATO that is making dangerous attempts to conquer Ukrainian territory and is building up its military potential at our borders.” Moscow, the readout continued, “is seriously interested in obtaining reliable, legally fixed guarantees excluding the expansion of NATO in the eastern direction and the deployment of offensive strike weapons systems in the states adjacent to Russia.” Although Biden has publicly rejected any of Putin’s “red lines” and expressed support for Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty, he has shown little interest in fully backing its potential membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. “And how does the Kremlin portray the call, and do the Russians tone down the really over-the-top rhetoric they’ve been issuing about Ukraine in recent days?” Before the discussion with Putin, Biden conferred with top European allies Monday evening about the far-reaching economic sanctions any invasion would trigger.