After the talks, which according to some sources lasted an hour, no reports of what was discussed or if there was any agreement to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine, which Washington is evaluating from “fortune teller” positions, when its spokesmen affirm the start of the war.
Both leaders spoke by phone this day, but no details are yet available.
The State Department has once again warned all Americans to leave Ukraine out of concern that a suspected Russian attack is imminent, The New York Times reported.
For now, Washington has begun withdrawing personnel from its embassy in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, and the Pentagon has sent 160 US military instructors out of that nation.
On the other hand, Western sources express their concern about the deployment of Russian warships in maneuvers in the Black Sea and the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, called for moderation and calm in the face of alleged threats of war, which according to Washington, would begin next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, from the Kremlin, spokesmen said that the anticipated dates are “pure propaganda”, which is part of the media campaign against Russia.
Along these lines, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s National Security Adviser, warned that Putin could order a major assault against Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics in China, although, he said, he had not yet made a final decision.
“I’m not going to comment on the details of our intelligence, but I want to be clear: it could start during the Games. We encourage all US citizens remaining in Ukraine to leave immediately,” he said.
Even as Biden and Putin spoke on the phone —and after calls Saturday between top diplomats and the defense secretaries of the two countries — the path to a diplomatic resolution to the standoff appeared to be narrowing, the Times commented.
While the unknown remains, a plurality of Americans oppose sending US troops to Ukraine, a poll has revealed.
The poll, conducted by YouGov, found that 42 percent of Americans said Washington should send financial aid to Ukraine, compared with 24 percent who called it a bad idea and 34 percent who admitted they weren’t sure.
Fifty-five percent said they were against sending troops to fight Russian soldiers in the event of an incursion into Ukraine.
Only 13 percent of those surveyed thought it was a good idea.
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