President Biden held another call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday amid continuing Ukraine tensions.
Biden during the call "urged Russia to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine" and warned the U.S. and its allies "will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine," the White House said. "President Biden reiterated that substantive progress in these dialogues can occur only in an environment of de-escalation rather than escalation," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki added. This was the second call between Biden and Putin this month, CNN notes, and it came after Russia amassed troops on the Ukraine border.
The call was held at Putin's request, and the Russian leader warned Biden that any economic sanctions being placed on Russia in response to military action against Ukraine may result in a "complete rupture" of relations between the countries, The New York Times reported. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin warned that "many such mistakes have already been made over the past 30 years," and "therefore, it is advisable not to make such mistakes in this situation," according to The Washington Post.
The 50-minute call, though, "ended without clarity about Mr. Putin's intentions," the Times said. According to CNN, diplomats from the U.S. and Russia will meet in Geneva next month.