What did Biden and Zelensky talk about on their call?
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(CNN) -
President Joe Biden will speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday in hopes of defusing an incessant crisis on Russia's border with Ukraine.
Putin requested the phone call this week for reasons that US officials say are not exactly clear.
The last time Biden and Putin spoke was on December 7 in a video conference that ended with a commitment to resume diplomatic talks, but without indicating that Russia was willing to ease the tension.
Small arms and ammunition from the United States arrive in Ukraine as the Pentagon assigns troops to train the country's army
Since then, up to 100,000 Russian troops have been piling up on the Ukrainian border, despite warnings from Biden and European leaders about the dire consequences of an invasion by Putin.
US officials also claim that Moscow is waging a massive disinformation campaign to undermine the Ukrainian government ahead of the country's national elections.
Biden hopes that Thursday's phone call, which he will make at 3:30 pm (Miami time), from his home in Delaware, will allow progress in reducing tensions.
US officials said it will tell Putin that there is a way to avoid conflict and, by extension, to avoid the harsh economic sanctions that the West is willing to impose if Russian troops cross the border.
The United States and Russia to begin talks in Geneva
The talks come about two weeks before American and Russian diplomats meet in Geneva to discuss the current crisis.
In the run-up to those talks, Russia has publicly offered a list of security concerns and demands that it wants addressed, including a pledge that Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO and that no military equipment should be placed on it. the alliance in its former Soviet states.
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The United States has prepared its own list of concerns, a senior US government official told reporters Wednesday, but does not plan to make it public.
Instead, Biden's advisers believe it will be more fruitful to keep the negotiations private.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will lead the US delegation in the talks, which will take place on January 10, according to several sources familiar with the matter.
Biden and Putin are not expected to participate themselves.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov will lead the Russian delegation.
Pentagon and National Security Council officials will also attend the US talks, a senior administration official said Wednesday.
The direct talks between the United States and Russia will be followed by broader meetings between NATO and Russia, as well as a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, where various topics will be discussed.
Commitment to allies
The United States has pledged to keep Western European countries and Ukraine itself informed as Biden talks to Putin on a diplomatic level.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, and White House officials said they were in almost daily contact with their counterparts in the UK, France and Germany to coordinate their approach.
What did Biden and Putin speak at their virtual summit?
This is what we know 2:10
The US has managed to convince its allies to prepare a set of tough sanctions, including some of Putin's main allies, as part of a coordinated approach.
US officials have said the punishment would be much harsher than the sanctions applied in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.
The United States has also "made plans to strengthen NATO's position of strength" in eastern Europe if Russia attacks Ukraine, an official said, and is prepared to provide Ukraine with further assistance to help the country defend itself if necessary. .
Since Biden last spoke to Putin, there have been no indications that Russia is relaxing its stance on the border with Ukraine, although a senior administration official said the situation was fairly fluid.
"It is not totally static from our perspective," the official said.
"It remains a continuing source of grave concern what the Russians have been putting in place in and around that border area."
How far would the US go to protect Ukraine from Russia 2:08
Heavy accumulation of troops on the border with Ukraine
The Russian build-up has included troops, artillery, vehicles and supply lines, officials have previously said.
Earlier this week, Russia announced that it would withdraw 10,000 soldiers to their usual barracks.
But US officials suggested the move was not a major de-escalation.
Meanwhile, the United States has maintained its own position in the region.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the carrier Harry S. Truman and its escort ships to remain in the Mediterranean area rather than sail to the Middle East, as part of an effort to reassure European allies.
And the US Air Force conducted a reconnaissance mission over eastern Ukraine this week to gather information on the situation on the ground.
With information from Natasha Bertrand.
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