US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski spoke on the phone. In a statement from the White House, it was stated that Biden assured Zelenski that if the United States invades Ukraine, the United States, together with its allies, will respond decisively to Russia. On the other hand, the United States called the UN Security Council to meet to discuss the Ukraine-Russia tension.
Biden also emphasized the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Biden noted that the United States provided over half a billion dollars in development and humanitarian aid to Ukraine last year and is seeking additional macroeconomic support to help Ukraine’s economy amid pressure from Russia’s military deployment,” the statement said.
It was stated that Biden said that although the families of the staff at the US embassy in Kiev have left the country, the embassy is open and continues to work.
“The leaders discussed diplomatic cooperation efforts towards European security, underlining the principle of “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” the statement said.
Biden cited US support for conflict resolution efforts through the Normandy Format and said he hopes the parties’ recommitment to abide by the terms of the July 2020 ceasefire will help de-escalate tensions and help implement the Minsk Agreements.
Russia’s deployment of thousands of troops and military equipment on the Ukrainian border is causing Kiev and the west to worry about an invasion of Ukraine. Russia denies the invasion allegations.
US calls for UN Security Council meeting
The United States finally called on the United Nations (UN) Security Council to meet on Monday to discuss Russia’s threatening attitudes.
“Russia is taking destabilizing actions against Ukraine and is a clear threat to international peace, security and UN resolutions,” said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield.
“This is not a time to wait and see,” said the Ambassador. “The full attention of the Council needs to be on this issue and we look forward to Monday’s direct and purposeful discussion.”
Thomas-Greenfield said, “The UN Security Council is setting a critical stage for diplomacy as we continue our relentless pursuit of diplomacy to de-escalate tensions in the face of the serious threat to peace and security in Europe and the world.”
The UN Security Council has met dozens of times on the Ukraine crisis since 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea. However, the fact that Russia was one of the countries with the veto right of the council prevented the decision to be taken.