European leaders have agreed upon a united front of aggression towards the Russia-Ukraine tensions.
Following a rare talk between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden spoke with European leaders. It was the second time that the five countries had spoken within only 24 hours on the issue. The United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy make up the so-called Nato “Quint,” which met both before and after the U.S.-Russia talks.
The five countries highlighted the importance of Russia easing tensions and ceasing threatening behavior towards Ukraine. They agreed that a dialogue with Russia was necessary, and must be ongoing in order to encourage a de-escalation.
Russia has been amassing nearly 100,000 troops at the border with Ukraine, bringing the crisis to its worst point since 2015.
Bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Biden-Putin talk have been happening all week. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelenskiy on Monday and confirmed the U.S.’s “unwavering support” to Ukraine, even in the face of “Russian aggression.” The two said they agreed upon joint, concerted action.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is to meet her Ukrainian counterpart Dymtro Kuleba on Wednesday in order to offer closer strategic cooperation between the United Kingdom and Ukraine and strengthen the ties between the countries.
Last week, NATO foreign ministers met in Riga, Latvia to show a united front against Russian aggression as well.
It is being reported that the U.S. will send reinforcements to Eastern Europe if Russia invades Ukraine. The last time that Russia invaded Ukraine, more troops and equipment were sent to Eastern Europe, meaning a similar response is expected if it were to happen again.
But it has been emphasized that the U.S. is not seeking direct use of American military force. A combination of efforts, instead, is being threatened against Russia if it does not refrain from escalating tensions.
Severe new economic measures and sanctions are expected to be taken if Russian troops cross the border. So too is American support for the Ukrainian military expected, as well as a substantial increase in both support and capability to Nato countries.
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