Amid tensions over Ukraine, the White House said today that president Joe Biden will call up Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday.
The two leaders are to discuss a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagement with Russia according to the White House.
U.S and Russia to engage in talks in Geneva on January 10 over UKarine crisis after Russia’s representative submitted a security draft document to the Biden administration and NATO.
U.S reported that Russia has massed up 100,000 troops near a border with Ukraine and has been together with NATO and EU accusing Russia of wanting to invade Ukraine, the accusations denied by Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said NATO’s expansion eastwards threatens Russia’s national security and has repeatedly said NATO shouldn’t extend its border further eastwards at the border with Russia and he also demanded that Ukraine should never be invited to join NATO, the demand that was rejected by NATO saying Putin doesn’t veto powers to decide who joins NATO and who doesn’t.
The U.S, NATO, and EU have threatened large-scale sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine but I don’t think there are any amount of sanctions that can stop Putin since the issue concerns Russia’s national security.
The country’s national security always triumphs over economic benefits and we have seen this on many occasions where the U.S has sanctioned Chinese companies over national security threats.
Putin will never trade security for economic benefits and it becomes worse now that he has the full support of China, the largest trading nation on earth which can help to wither down sanctions put on Russia by the West.
