Biden assures the Ukrainian president that the US will respond “quickly and decisively” if Russia invades

By Teaganne Finn -

President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, reaffirming that the United States and its allies would respond "quickly and decisively" if Russia decides to invade Ukraine.

"President Biden reaffirmed the United States' commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and "made clear that the United States would respond quickly and decisively, together with its allies and partners, to any new Russian aggression against Ukraine" , according to a White House description of the conversation.

Biden and Zelenskyy, it was noted, "agreed on the importance of continuing to pursue diplomacy and deterrence in response to Russia's decision to increase its military presence on Ukraine's borders."

The last time the two leaders spoke was on January 2.

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The call, which lasted about 50 minutes, came a day after Biden warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of consequences for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which U.S. officials say could be imminent, according to a description of the conversation made by the White House.

This image made available by the White House via Twitter shows President Joe Biden at Camp David, Maryland, Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022.AP

Biden told Putin in a call Saturday that lasted just over an hour that the US and its allies "will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs" if Moscow acts on its neighbor.

Biden was "clear with President Putin that while the United States remains prepared to act diplomatically, in full coordination with our allies and partners, it is equally prepared for other scenarios," it said.

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The State Department on Saturday ordered the evacuation of most employees from the US embassy in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, "due to the continuing threat of Russian military action."

The Pentagon also ordered the 160 members of the Florida National Guard who had been deployed to train Ukrainian forces to leave the country.

Russia also disclosed that it was transferring staff from its embassy in Kiev.

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Consular services will be suspended at the US Embassy in Kiev from Sunday, the department said, but a "small consular presence" will be maintained in Lviv.

Located in western Ukraine, about 50 miles from the Polish border, Lviv is further from likely Russian invasion routes.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned Friday that the threat of an invasion was immediate and that Americans remaining in Ukraine should leave within 48 hours.

Putin has bold security demands for the US and NATO, including a guarantee that Ukraine will be prevented from joining the alliance, but has repeatedly denied that he plans to invade the country.

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Sullivan also reiterated that the Biden Administration believes there is a "distinct possibility" that Russia could move on Ukraine before the end of the Winter Olympics, though he stressed that he does not think Putin has made a final decision on the matter.