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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Joe Biden (archive photo)
Photo: Uncredited / dpa
In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Joe Biden apparently pledged his support. "Discussed recent diplomatic efforts to de-escalate and agreed on joint measures for the future," Zelenskyy tweeted after the conversation. He thanked President Biden for the "ongoing military support." Possibilities of financial support for Ukraine were also discussed.
Washington has backed Ukraine in its standoff with Moscow after Russia massed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks.
Russia denies plans for an attack on its neighbor.
The US government has repeatedly stated that there will be no "decision on Ukraine without Ukraine" in the crisis.
There are regular consultations between the governments in Washington and Kiev.
According to a spokeswoman, the conversation with Selenskyj serves to take stock.
Biden and Scholz discuss diplomatic solution
The phone call took place just a few days before the planned inaugural visit by Chancellor Scholz (SPD) to the White House on February 7th.
"Chancellor Scholz's visit provides an opportunity to reaffirm the deep and enduring ties between the United States and Germany," a White House spokeswoman said in a statement.
Biden and Scholz would discuss their commitment to a diplomatic solution to the current conflict and "joint efforts to prevent further Russian aggression against Ukraine."
The Biden government regularly emphasizes the unity of its western allies towards Russia.
Germany's refusal to supply Ukraine with weapons for its defense was noted in the United States.
Another gathering of Russian combat troops
According to the US government, the strength of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border has continued to increase “in the past 24 hours”. "As for Russian build-ups, we're seeing - also in the past 24 hours - another accumulation of (...) combat troops deployed by the Russians in the western part of their country and in Belarus," Pentagon spokesman John said kirby The spokesman would not say how many armed forces had recently joined. The rearmament was not "dramatic," but it wasn't "frozen" either.
Kirby announced further military aid to Ukraine.
The next deliveries should therefore soon arrive on site.
"We will not detail all of the items included in these shipments," Kirby continued.
With a view to the deployment on the Ukrainian border, they want to be careful with this information.
»We are in constant contact with Ukraine about their needs and capabilities.«
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has emphasized that in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's exclusion from the Swift payment system and an end to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline are possible.
“Nothing is off the table,” she said in a CNN interview on Thursday evening when asked about the relevant sanctions.
She also stressed that they are trying to find a solution at the negotiating table, but are also preparing for the worst.
The NATO states and numerous other countries have been criticizing the troop deployment on the border with Ukraine for weeks.
Secret service agents fear a Russian invasion of the neighboring country.
However, it is also considered conceivable that the deployment is primarily intended to be a means of exerting pressure on the NATO states to accept Russian proposals for new security agreements.
ime/dpa/AFP/Reuters
