WASHINGTON, Feb 16 — United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the US is still pursuing a diplomatic solution to the current standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine, meanwhile warning Russia of severe sanctions should it choose to invade its neighbour.
In televised remarks delivered from the White House on the evolving situation on Ukraine’s borders, Biden said his country is prepared “to engage in diplomacy with Russia and our allies and partners to improve stability and security in Europe as a whole,” adding that if Russia chooses to invade Ukraine, the West will “respond decisively.”
Biden said he agrees with a proposal from the Russian government to continue diplomatic negotiations, adding “we should give diplomacy every chance to succeed”, Xinhua news agency reported.
He said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin during their phone call on Saturday that the US is willing to “keep pursuing high-level diplomacy” to negotiate “written understandings” with Russia.
The US president claimed that his country has “put on the table concrete ideas to establish a security environment in Europe,” referring to a written document the US submitted to Russia last month to address Moscow’s security concerns.
The Kremlin has said the US document ignored its main demands, at the centre of which is that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) cannot expand further eastward to include Ukraine as its member.
Biden said the US in its future dialogues with Russia “will not sacrifice basic principles” aimed at advancing the common security of the US and its allies and partners, a veiled refusal to Russian demand that Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO.
Putin told a press conference at the conclusion of his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier Tuesday that Russia is prepared to discuss with the West “some” of the issues involving banning missile deployment to Europe and restricting military drills on the continent, but these discussions must happen “in complex with the main issues that are of primary importance for us.”
He called Ukraine’s bid to join NATO a major security threat to Russia.
Sources: BERNAMA