Biden, Putin to talk over phone on Saturday to discuss Ukraine crisis
- Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin are expected to have a phone conversation on Saturday over Ukraine, as per the Kremlin
- Russia has increased its presence along Ukraine's borders
- The US fears an invasion may be imminent
US President Joe Biden is expected to speak over the phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday amid escalating tensions in Ukraine.
A spokesperson for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Friday that a phone call had been scheduled between the two heads of state.
“Indeed, the US side requested a conversation with President Putin, and the talks of the two presidents are planned to take place tomorrow in the evening,” Peskov said.
“The request was preceded by a letter from the US side,” he added.
Also read | Emmanuel Macron kept at distance from Putin after refusing COVID test
While Peskov did not divulge the exact time of the phone call, CNN has reported that it is expected to take place at 11am ET, as per the Kremlin.
Earlier in the day, Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to President Joe Biden, had also hinted at a phone call between the two presidents, saying that he expected President Biden to “engage by telephone with President Putin” for talks over Ukraine. Sullivan, however, did not specify when the phone call would take place.
The news about the expected phone call between President Biden and President Putin comes amid emerging reports of an imminent Russian invasion.
Ukraine has claimed that Russia has imposed a blockade in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, cutting off sea-based access to the country. Satellite images from US company Maxar Technologies have also shown new deployment of Russian troops in Crimea, Belarus, and western Russia, within striking distance of Ukraine.
Also read | Britishers urged to leave Ukraine as Russian invasion threat looms
Given the situation in Ukraine, President Biden on Friday urged Americans to leave Ukraine immediately, while Secretary of State Anthony Blinken warned that an invasion could take place “any time.”
Blinken’s warning was also echoed by Sullivan, who told the press that Russia was poised to invade Ukraine and that the invasion could happen before the end of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on February 20.
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