Biden tells Putin that the U.S. and allies will respond “decisively” if Russia invades Ukraine

President Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone name on Thursday that the U.S. and its allies will react “decisively” if Ukraine is invaded, White Home press secretary Jen Psaki mentioned. A senior administration official mentioned Mr. Biden and Putin and agreed to a “sequence of strategic stability dialogue.”

The decision comes as Russia has built up troop levels alongside the border with Ukraine, and U.S. intelligence has warned Russia may invade Ukraine as quickly as January. 

In the meantime, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS Information that an American spy airplane flew a mission over Ukraine on Thursday, which adopted one other flight on December 27. The flight was by a JSTARS plane, which is a radar airplane particularly designed to trace floor actions. 

In an announcement, the U.S. European Command mentioned it routinely operates plane within the Black Sea area in help of “numerous U.S. and coalition intelligence aims.” The U.S. European Command mentioned the occasion was preplanned and “not in response to any particular occasion.” 

The senior administration official mentioned Mr. Biden laid out two paths, one centered on democracy and the opposite centered on deterrence and “vital prices and penalties ought to Russia select to proceed with additional invasion of Ukraine.”   

The senior administration official mentioned the tone of Mr. Biden’s name with Putin was “severe and substantive” and its major function was to set the “tone and tenor of diplomatic engagement” scheduled for subsequent month. The upcoming talks will assist “decide extra exactly the contours” of the areas the place there may be settlement between the 2 leaders, the official mentioned.

Mr. Biden urged Putin to deescalate tensions with Ukraine, and the official mentioned the U.S.’ focus is “actually on actions and on indicators not on phrases” and can proceed to arrange for no matter determination Putin makes with regard to Ukraine. 

The U.S. will proceed a “very intensive interval of session” with allies over the subsequent week earlier than the NATO-Russia council talks, the senior administration official mentioned. 

“There will probably be a really cautious and really intensive coordination transparency amongst our companions and allies,” the official mentioned. 

Russia has constructed up an estimated 100,000 troops close to the Ukrainian border. Regardless of current stories that the Russians have withdrawn 10,000 troops from the realm, the senior administration official mentioned the White Home is “drastically involved” concerning the nonetheless “vital Russian troop presence” alongside the border. 

CBS Information has reported that the ten,000 withdrawn troops is only a fraction of the quantity that also stays on the border.

David Martin, Fin Gomez and Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.