Dec. 29 (UPI) — President Joe Biden will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone Thursday to discuss a “range of topics, including diplomatic engagements,” the White House said Wednesday.
The Biden administration will take part in “consulting and coordinating on a common approach in response to Russia’s military build up on the border of Ukraine,” Emily Horne, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said.
“President Biden has spoken with leaders across Europe, and Biden administration officials have engaged with NATO and the EU and the OSCE,” she continued.
Currently, Ukraine estimates 122,000 Russian troops are within 124 miles of its border, up tens of thousands from weeks ago, Bloomberg previously reported.
Ukraine and Russia have been engaged in ongoing disputes and conflict since the latter annexed Crimea within its borders in 2014.
Russia has been conducting drills along its border with Ukraine, leading western countries to fear a possible winter invasion of Ukraine.
More, last week, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan urged Russia to de-escalate troop buildup on Ukraine’s border.
Sullivan “indicated U.S. readiness to engage in diplomacy through multiple channels, including bilateral engagement, the NATO-Russia Council and the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,” according to a former White House statement.
