In “long” phone call, the two presidents spoke about recent Normandy talks with Russia, among other topics
US President Joe Biden received a report on the recent talks with Russia in Paris from his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. The two leaders agreed on joint action and discussed further US military and financial support to Ukraine, according to Kiev.
The White House told reporters on Thursday that the call was scheduled for 2 pm Eastern time.
Shortly before 4 pm, Zelensky tweeted about a “long” conversation with Biden, saying that they discussed “recent diplomatic efforts on de-escalation and agreed on joint actions for the future.” Zelensky thanked Biden for “the ongoing military assistance” and also discussed “possibilities for financial support to Ukraine.”
Ahead of the call, CNN reported that Zelensky was going to ask the US to be “more cautious in its messaging surrounding a potential Russian attack,” as Kiev was facing panic and negative economic consequences. Ukraine’s dollar bonds had their best day in almost two years on Thursday, following the news that the ‘Normandy format’ talks with Russia in Paris were somewhat successful.
The White House readout, released after 5 pm, said that Biden “reaffirmed the readiness of the US along with its allies and partners to respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” and that the US embassy in Kiev “remains open and fully operational” despite the departure of family members of diplomats.
Biden also expressed support for the Normandy format talks, “expressing his hope that the sides’ recommitment on January 26 to the terms of the July 2020 ceasefire will help decrease tensions and advance the implementation of the Minsk Agreements.”
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