WASHINGTON, Dec 31 (NNN-Xinhua) — US President Joe Biden spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin via phone on Thursday amid heightened tensions over Ukraine.
Biden urged Russia to “de-escalate tensions with Ukraine” and he made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will “respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” according to a statement by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the phone call.
Biden also expressed support for diplomacy, starting early next year with the bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue, at NATO through the NATO-Russia Council, and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said the statement.
Biden reiterated that “substantive progress in these dialogues can occur only in an environment of de-escalation rather than escalation,” said the statement.
Thursday’s phone call was the second conversation between Biden and Putin this month. The two leaders spoke on Dec 7 in a video conference that ended with a pledge to restart diplomatic discussions.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Navy held a passing exercise (PASSEX) in the Black Sea with the French Navy, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Thursday in a statement.
The landing ship Yuriy Olefirenko of the Ukrainian Navy, and the Aquitaine-class frigate Auvergne of the French Navy were involved in the exercise.
The exercise, which defined English as a working language, focused on improving the interoperability and coherence of the naval crews. In particular, the maneuvers included training on conducting night signal production.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said the exercise was aimed at upholding security in the Black Sea region and improving the interoperability of the two countries’ crews under the standards of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The Auvergne frigate entered the Black Sea on Dec 13.
Ukraine holds PASSEX naval drills in the Black Sea periodically with NATO members and partner countries to bring the level of its naval forces closer to the alliance’s standards. In June 2020, Ukraine was granted the status of a partner in the NATO Enhanced Opportunities Program. — NNN-XINHUA
