Biden reaffirms support for Ukraine in phone call with president

Authored by politico.com and submitted by theoryofdoom
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Zelenskyy tweeted about his conversation with Biden. “The first international talk of the year with @POTUS proves the special nature of our relations,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been shy about suggesting that Russian military action might be needed to resolve ongoing differences with Ukraine.

Once referred to as Russia’s bread basket for its agricultural output, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union until it was dissolved by President Mikhail Gorbachev in December 1991. As a sovereign nation, Ukraine was soon beset by economic difficulties and rampant corruption.

In 2014, Putin and Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine; that was followed by battles in Donbas, a region in southeastern Ukraine. Russian-backed forces now occupy part of that region.

Biden has responded to the current tensions by indicating that the United States would not accept a Russian invasion of Ukraine, threatening sanctions.

He spoke Thursday with Putin, who doesn’t want Ukraine to be admitted to NATO, the alliance created in 1949 as a counterweight against the Soviet Union in Europe. Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has expanded into Eastern Europe, inviting former enemies to join.

Putin has said that Ukraine’s entry into NATO would leave Russia unprotected from a direct attack from the West.

“They have pushed us to a line that we can’t cross,” Putin said in remarks in late December. “They have taken it to the point where we simply must tell them: ‘Stop!’”

flameinthedark on January 3rd, 2022 at 10:58 UTC »

“I looked at them and said: ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money” -Joe Biden

But I’m sure Joe has Ukraine’s best in mind now.

Eggboi4000 on January 3rd, 2022 at 07:26 UTC »

One thing that leaves much to be desired is the nature of this support. The article does not elaborate whether this is economic support or militarily? The former simply being added sanctions and the latter referring to an actual military defence?

theoryofdoom on January 3rd, 2022 at 02:33 UTC »

Submission Statement: This Politico article reports Washington's reaffirmed commitment to Ukraine's defense, in response to any further Russian invasion. According to the White House, Biden has placed the world on notice that "United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine" and "reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."