Biden Promised not to Decide on Ukraine Unbeknownst to Kyiv

The Presidents of the United States and Ukraine had a telephone conversation, during which the American leader declared support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden, during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, January 2, reaffirmed support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. According to the American leader, he is ready, together with his allies, to react decisively in the event of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House reports. The leaders of the United States and Ukraine expressed support for the dialogue on strategic stability between the United States and the Russian Federation and the meeting of the Russia-NATO Council starting next week. For de-escalation of tension in Donbass Joe Biden also announced the promotion of confidence-building measures to de-escalate tensions in the Donbas and active diplomacy to promote the implementation of the Minsk agreements in support of the Normandy format. At the same time, Biden promised the President of Ukraine that Washington would not make decisions concerning partners without their knowledge. Earlier, the United States and its Western partners, commenting on the proposals of the Russian Federation on security guarantees, have already warned that they do not intend to make decisions without consulting with those countries that these decisions will affect. For the preservation of peace in Europe As Volodymyr Zelensky said after a telephone conversation with Joe Biden, he appreciates the "unwavering support of Ukraine." According to the Ukrainian leader, the conversation with the head of the Washington administration proved that the relations between Washington and Kyiv are of a special nature. "The first international conversation with Biden proves the special nature of our relations. We discussed joint actions of Ukraine, the United States and partners to preserve peace in Europe and prevent further escalation, reform and de-oligarchization," Zelensky wrote on Twitter. Conversation with Putin - about upcoming security talks Three days before Biden's conversation with Zelensky, the second conversation between the leader of the United States and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place in the last month, which took place against the background of escalating tensions near the border of Russia with Ukraine, where Russia has deployed its troops. The Kremlin pointed out that the conversation between Biden and Putin, during which they discussed the implementation of the agreement reached during the videoconference on December 7 to launch negotiations on the provision of legal guarantees to ensure Russia's security, was useful to both sides. Biden, in turn, said that he "made it clear" that Moscow has no right to invade Ukraine. If this happens, he also promised that the United States would increase its "presence in Europe together with its NATO allies." DW