Before his interview with Putin, the US president discussed with his European counterparts.
by
The Visio Conferencing appointment with the European leaders should make it possible to prepare the virtual summit with Vladimir Putin: Joe Biden spoke, Monday, December 6, with Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Boris Johnson and Mario Draghi. It was a question of consulting with the situation in Ukraine before the afternoon conversation of Tuesday between the US and Russian presidents.
In the stride, the Elysee broadcast a laconic statement, highlighting the determination of the five countries “that the sovereignty of Ukraine is respected”. Their leaders “discussed their common concern to the Russian military deployment at the borders of Ukraine and Russia’s hostile rhetoric,” said the White House. They also “recalled the need for Russia to re-engage in the negotiations with Ukraine, as part of the group called” Normandie “, under the auspices of France and Germany.” The negotiations are blocked For months, on climbing background of tensions between Moscow and Kiev.
In reality, the concertation is all the more necessary and Europeans have recently shown signs of differences on the conclusions of the deployment of Russian troops at the border of Ukraine. “It’s important to coordinate to have a clear photograph of the situation. Nothing would be worse than surreagir,” says a French diplomatic source. The issue has been the subject of many consultations in recent days, especially at the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on Wednesday, November 30 in Riga.
While some American officials warn, in view of the forces involved, against a risk of invasion, seven years after the unilateral annexation of Crimea by Vladimir Putin, European capitals are worried, but are worried less alarmist. The United States has announced Monday that in the event of an attack on Ukraine by Russia, they would take new massive economic sanctions, but without considering a direct military response, explained a senior official of the Biden administration. Scenarios that Europeans refuse to consider at this stage.
Macron in Budapest
“We have been observing a concentration of forces since 2014, it is not a novelty. What could change in the spring, these are more significant peaks of activity yet, and who ask questions about the motivations of everything This, recently watched a French diplomat. We are very concerned about not drawing more substantial conclusions going beyond the only facts we observe. “
You still have 37.46% of this article to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.