Joe Biden reaffirms support for Ukraine in call to Volodymyr Zelensky

The United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky and Joe Biden. Pictures: AFP

US President Joe Biden on Sunday reassured his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Washington “will respond decisively” if Russia moves to invade its pro-Western neighbour.

With a Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders, Mr Biden “made clear” to Mr Zelensky during a phone call that the “United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

The show of US support for Ukraine comes days after Mr Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of severe consequences if Moscow launches a military invasion.

In his call with Mr Zelensky, Mr Biden also stressed Washington’s commitment “to the principle of ‘nothing about you without you’,” a reference to the need to include Ukraine in negotiations about its own future.

Mr Zelensky tweeted afterwards that he appreciated the United States’ “unwavering support” and that the call “proves the special nature” of the two countries’ relationship.

High-ranking US and Russian officials are due to sit down on January 9 and 10 in Geneva to discuss the crisis. Last week, Mr Biden spoke to Mr Putin, the two leaders’ second conversation by phone in three weeks as tensions mount over Ukraine.

Discussing the call with Mr Putin on Friday, Mr Biden said: “I’m not going to negotiate here in public, but we made it clear he cannot – I’ll emphasise, cannot – invade Ukraine.”

Ms Psaki also said that Mr Biden reaffirmed “the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The US leader additionally “expressed support for confidence-building measures to de-escalate tensions in Donbas and active diplomacy to advance the implementation of the Minsk Agreements”. Under the Minsk agreement – brokered by France and Germany – Ukraine agreed to carry out political reforms while Russia agreed to end its support for separatist rebels.

About 100,000 Russian troops are massed near the border of the country, where Mr Putin already seized the Crimea in 2014 and is accused of fomenting a separatist war which erupted that same year in the east. Moscow describes the troop presence as protection against the expansion of NATO, although Ukraine has not been offered membership in the military alliance.

AFP