The White House warned on Monday (December 6) that if Moscow invaded Ukraine, the United States would impose “serious economic losses” on Russia and strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe. High-risk Putin was raised on the eve of the meeting.
Biden and Putin will hold a video call on Tuesday because the United States tried to prevent Russia from taking military action against Ukraine after Moscow had assembled tens of thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border.
Biden spoke with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom before Monday’s call, discussing their “shared concerns about Russia’s military build-up on the Ukrainian border and Russia’s increasingly severe rhetoric”. They also called on Russia to ease tensions. The official said at a briefing press conference that if the invasion continues, the United States has been cooperating with European allies to make a strong response. He added that the United States and Europe will cause severe economic pain.
The official said: “We believe that there is a way forward that allows us to send a clear message to Russia that if an invasion occurs, there will be a lasting and meaningful cost.”
A senior US official told reporters that Biden will also promptly inform Ukrainian President Zelensky of the details of his discussions with Putin.
Ukraine is worried that the US-Russia agreement will abandon it within Russia’s sphere of influence.
The official stated that the White House did not know whether Putin had decided to launch military forces against Ukraine — and did not threaten that if he did so, the U.S. military would directly intervene.
But the official, who asked not to be named, said that Biden will make it clear that “if (Russia) chooses to advance military upgrades, choosing to move forward will pay a real, meaningful and lasting price.”
The official said that if Russia launches an attack, the United States and European allies are prepared to take “substantial economic countermeasures… which will cause significant and serious economic damage to the Russian economy.”
A source familiar with the situation said that sanctions against Putin’s inner circle have been discussed, but no decision has been made yet. The person added that it is expected that Biden will not go deep into the details of possible actions with Putin, but will warn of economic costs.
Another person familiar with the matter said that the United States and its European allies are also considering sanctions against Russia’s largest bank. According to sources, another option is to seek Russia’s ability to convert rubles into U.S. dollars and other currencies.
CNN reported that the United States may take extreme measures to disconnect Russia from the SWIFT international payment system used by banks around the world.
Bloomberg reported that allies in the United States and Europe are weighing sanctions against Russia’s direct investment funds and the country’s ability to convert rubles into U.S. dollars. The United States may also restrict investors’ ability to buy Russian bonds in the secondary market, Bloomberg added, citing people familiar with the matter.
In addition, Biden will make it clear that if Putin “intervenes, the east wing allies will make more and more demands, and the United States will actively respond to additional troops, capabilities, and exercises,” they said.
Coordinated response
The White House issued a statement after Biden met with European leaders, stating that the organization “calls on Russia to ease tensions and agree to diplomacy… is the only way to resolve the Donbass conflict.”
The American official emphasized the close coordination between Washington and Kiev, saying that Secretary of State Anthony Brinken will also talk to Zelensky before meeting Putin.
Ukraine estimates that Russia has approximately 100,000 soldiers near its border.
Moscow denies any belligerent intentions and accuses the West of provocations, especially military exercises in the Black Sea, which it considers to be part of its sphere of influence.
Putin hopes that the West will promise that Ukraine will not become part of NATO, which is a transatlantic alliance established to counter the former Soviet Union.
When asked whether the United States is going to send troops to Ukraine in a Russian attack, the official said that Washington “does not seek to ultimately lead us to countermeasures that focus on the direct use of US military power.”
The official added that such a conversation “will be a sharp conflict, and we are more willing to keep these exchanges with the Russians confidential.”
While the United States is considering increasing its presence in Europe’s NATO member states, Ukraine calls on the U.S., British and Canadian forces to have a “visible” presence on its territory near the Donbass region.
The Pentagon made it clear that it regards the build-up of Russian troops as a serious threat.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin “does indeed have a meeting this morning with the leaders of the main departments, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and General (Tod) Wolters at EUCom (United States European Command) to discuss the situation in Ukraine, of course, in western Russia, “Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday.
Kirby said: “The senior military and policy leaders of the department are very keen and closely informed him of what we continue to see.”
The Kremlin said earlier on Monday that Moscow did not expect a “breakthrough” in the conference call.
“Although our bilateral relations are still in a very miserable state, there are still signs of recovery; dialogue is beginning in certain areas,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the United States still believes that it is possible for Russia and the West to implement a ceasefire in the war between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists.
Price said: “We believe that we have an opportunity before us, a window to resolve this issue through diplomatic channels.”
But if Russia is not interested in this, he said, the United States is prepared to adopt “high-impact economic measures that we have avoided in the past.”
(Editing by Georgi Getoff)
