U.S. President Joseph Biden held a phone call with the leaders of the European countries on December 6.
President Biden talked with French President Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson.
During the talks, the leaders discussed shared concerns about the Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders and Moscow’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric on the issues.
According to the White House statement, “They [the U.S. and European leaders] called on Russia to de-escalate tensions and agreed that diplomacy, especially through the Normandy Format, is the only way forward to resolve the conflict in Donbas through the implementation of the Minsk Agreements.”
The leaders also underscored their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The U.S. and European allies also agreed to stay “in close touch”, and hold dialogues with “NATO allies and EU partners”, on a coordinated and comprehensive approach, the White House statement added.
Earlier on November 30, the U.S. Secretary of State issued a warning to Russia to back off from aggression in Ukraine, saying “any renewed aggression can trigger serious consequences.”
Meanwhile, NATO foreign ministers have also called on Russia to de-escalate and reduce tensions and expressed solidarity with Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the buildup of Russian troops and military equipment near the Ukrainian border “is unprovoked and unexplained.”
