The president, Joe Biden, and his counterpart Vladimir Putin will hold a telephone conversation on Thursday at the request of the Russian leader, according to CNN and Axios.
Putin has in recent weeks toughened up his demand for security guarantees in eastern Europe while straining the situation on the border with Ukraine.
The two leaders will discuss "a number of issues, including upcoming diplomatic engagements," National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement.
[Putin hardens the tone and threatens a "tough" military response to any "hostile measure" by NATO]
The talks come at a time when the United States and its Western allies have watched with concern the surge in Russian troops near the Ukrainian border, estimated at 100,000 and fueling fears Putin is bracing himself. to invade the neighboring country again.
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Villa la Grange on June 16, 2021, in Geneva, Switzerland.Patrick Semansky / AP
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said he "reiterated the unwavering support of the United States for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in the face of Russia's military build-up at the borders."
[Biden warns Putin in a virtual meeting about the "very real cost" that Russia would pay to invade Ukraine]
Price said the two discussed efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Putin said earlier this week that he would consider a number of options if the West does not meet his demand for security guarantees that impede NATO expansion into Ukraine.
The water bottles in this photo reveal the possible mistrust that existed in the meeting between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin
June 16, 202100: 49
Earlier this month, Moscow presented a draft security document demanding that NATO deny entry to Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union and reduce its military deployments in Central and Eastern Europe.