Joe Biden once again very strongly warned Vladimir Putin. The US president warned his Russian counterpart of the “severe and rapid repercussions” that Moscow would suffer if attacked by Ukraine, during a phone call lasting just over an hour on Saturday between the two leaders. announced the White House.
Joe Biden also reaffirmed that an invasion “would cause considerable human suffering and weaken Russia’s position”. The United States and its allies, who are calling for a diplomatic solution, are “just as ready for other scenarios”, he also told Vladimir Putin.
No “fundamental change”
The long-awaited exchange, which was “professional and rich”, did not however lead to “fundamental change in the dynamics that we have observed for several weeks now”, affirmed to an American official. According to this source, Washington has put forward proposals that would “improve European security and address some of the Russian concerns”, while respecting Ukrainian sovereignty.
“We still don’t know if Russia will favor diplomacy over the use of force,” the official said, adding that the stakes were “too high not to give Russia every chance” to withdraw. Moscow “already finds itself increasingly isolated from the rest of the world, and dependent on China,” he added. The intense diplomatic ballet therefore continues to try to avoid an armed conflict.