Joe Biden seeks to settle matters with the Europeans on the Ukraine issue

It was a videoconference meeting with European leaders to prepare for a virtual summit with Vladimir Putin: Joe Biden, on Monday, December 6, met with Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Boris Johnson and Mario Draghi. Consultation on the situation in Ukraine was scheduled before the Tuesday afternoon conversation between the US and Russian presidents.

In the process, the Elysee issued a brief press release, emphasizing the determination of the Five Nations Respect for the sovereignty of Ukraine.. led them They discussed their common concern about Russia’s military deployment on Ukraine’s borders and Russia’s hostile rhetoric.The White House said. They have too They recalled the need for Russia to re-enter negotiations with Ukraine, within the framework of the so-called “Normandy” group, under the auspices of France and Germany.. Negotiations have stalled for months amid rising tensions between Moscow and Kiev.

Indeed, the consultation is absolutely necessary because the Americans and Europeans have recently shown signs of disagreement about the results to be drawn from the deployment of Russian forces on the border with Ukraine. “It is important to coordinate to get a clear picture of the situation. Nothing is worse than overreaction”Says a French diplomatic source. This issue has been the subject of numerous consultations in recent days, notably at the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on Wednesday (November 30) in Riga.

While some US officials warn, given the forces present, of the danger of invasion, seven years after the annexation of Crimea by Vladimir Putin, European capitals are worried, but want to be less alarming. A senior official in the Biden administration said that the United States said, on Monday, that in the event of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, it would impose massive new economic sanctions, but without considering a direct military response. Scenarios that the Europeans refuse to consider at this stage.

Macron in Budapest

We have observed a concentration of forces since 2014, which is nothing new. Perhaps what has changed in the spring are the peaks of activity that are more significant, which raises questions about the motives behind all this., a French diplomat noted recently. We are very careful not to draw more objective conclusions that go beyond mere facts that we observe. “

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