US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle on Monday, in local time, to hold a summit on the crisis in Ukraine.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the meeting is expected to take place after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet on the 24th.
“President Biden accepted, in principle, a meeting with President Putin as long as the invasion does not happen. We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences if Russia chooses war. And currently, Russia seems to continue preparing for a full-scale attack on Ukraine very soon,” Psaki said in a statement on Sunday night.
In a statement, the French government said Macron had suggested to the two leaders a summit on “security and strategic stability in Europe”. The French Chief Executive will help prepare the content of the discussions.
“Presidents Biden and Putin accepted the principle of such a summit,” the French statement said, before adding that the meeting would be impossible if Russia invaded Ukraine, as Western nations fear. The White House did not return to the positions requested by the report.
The announcement – released after a series of phone calls between Macron and leaders on both sides of the Atlantic – comes after a week of heightened tensions spurred by Russia’s military buildup on the Ukrainian border.
Tensions increased after Belarus Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that Russia would extend military exercises in the country that were due to end on Sunday. Satellite images revealed further movements of Russian armored vehicles and troops near Ukraine.
The White House reported that Biden was canceling a trip to Delaware and staying in Washington after a two-hour meeting of its National Security Council.
The US-based satellite imaging company Maxar has reported several new deployments of Russian military units in forests, farms and industrial areas less than 15 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. According to the company, it represents a change from what had been seen in recent weeks.
“Until recently, most deployments were seen primarily positioned in or near military garrisons or in existing training areas,” Maxar said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the CNN, that “everything we are seeing suggests this is very serious”, adding that the West is equally prepared if Moscow invades.
“Until the tanks are actually rolling and the planes are flying, let’s take every opportunity and every minute that we have to see if diplomacy can still dissuade President Putin from taking this further.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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