By Shannon Pettypiece -
NBC News
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will make clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin that there will be "very real costs" if Russia takes military action against Ukraine when the two leaders meet in a video call on Tuesday, a senior administration official explained.
During the call, which comes at a time when Russia has deployed more than 90,000 combat troops along the Ukraine border, Biden will lay out a series of measures that the United States and its European allies would take, including additional sanctions, if Russia invades Ukraine.
[Biden demands Putin over the phone to act against 'hackers' and threatens to take action to defend US interests]
The official explained that the US believes that Russia is putting in place its ability to engage in military action, but it is unclear whether Putin has decided to carry out the plans.
Along with the military build-up, Russia has also been significantly intensifying a disinformation campaign to make Ukraine appear the aggressor.
Tuesday's call will be the first between Biden and Putin since July.
The United States and European allies have had "intense discussions" about what they would collectively do if Russia invades Ukraine, including "substantial economic countermeasures" that would cause "profound economic damage," the official said.
The water bottles in this photo reveal the possible mistrust that existed in the meeting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin
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"As regards Ukraine, we have made clear our deep concern over the evidence that Russia is stepping up its plans for meaningful military action against Ukraine," the official said.
The official declined to say whether the United States would take direct military action against Russia if there were an invasion, but clarified that the approach is to use other diplomatic methods.
“The United States does not seek to end in a circumstance in which the focus of our countermeasures is directly on US military force as opposed to a combination of support for the Ukrainian military, strong economic countermeasures, and the substantial increase in support and capacity to our allies from NATO ”, said the official.
[This is what Trump spoke in the mysterious phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart]
Russia has publicly denied any aggressive plans toward Ukraine, while pressing for Washington to guarantee that Ukraine will not join NATO.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed plans for the conversation on Saturday.
"The leaders will discuss a number of issues in the relationship between the United States and Russia, including strategic stability, cyberspace and regional issues," Psaki explained in a statement.
US President Joe Biden (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet during the US-Russia summit at Villa La Grange in Geneva, Switzerland on June 16, 2021. Peter Klaunzer / Keystone via Getty Images
Biden also plans to address cybersecurity concerns and the Iran nuclear deal, according to the official.
Russia has lobbied for Ukraine not to join NATO.
The administration official said the United States will leave the decision to NATO members and Ukraine, adding that the United States supports discussions between NATO and Russia to address "broader issues of concern to both parties: Russian concerns with NATO activities and NATO and US concerns with Russian activities ”.
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Biden will speak with key European allies ahead of the call to coordinate his message and ensure a united front.
The call comes after weeks of diplomacy with European allies, as well as multi-level talks with Russia and Ukraine.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy before the call, and Biden will speak with Zelenskiy in the days after.