Putin requests Thursday call with Biden amid ongoing Ukraine tensions

(Image credit: PETER KLAUNZER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak on a call Thursday afternoon amid tensions over Russia's military buildup on Ukraine's border. Putin reportedly requested the call, with National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne telling CNN the leaders plan to "discuss a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia."

There is "some mystery about the reason for Putin's request to chat," Politico writes in "Playbook," though they quoted a New York Times report suggesting that Putin could be "trying to de-escalate a situation largely of his own creation." But as Politico adds, Putin's motives might also "be the opposite."

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American and Russian officials plan to hold talks in Geneva on Jan. 10.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.