Biden-Putin phone talks… Looking for a solution amid heightened tensions in Ukraine

US President Joe Biden (right) and Russian President Vladimir Putin
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U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin entered into a negotiation on the 12th (local time) to find a solution to the Ukraine crisis.

The White House said the two leaders started talking at 11:04 a.m. EST, Archyde.com reported.

The U.S. explained that the call was made at the request of President Putin.

Russia initially hoped for a call on the 14th, but it is reported that the United States has proposed to move it up to that date.

The two leaders’ call comes at a time when the conflict between Russia and the West has reached its climax over concerns regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Since the end of last year, Russia has deployed more than 100,000 troops to the Ukrainian border, and the West, including the US, raised concerns that Russia might invade Ukraine, heightening tensions between the two sides.

Russia has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to invade Ukraine, but the United States is ready to invade at any time and warns that it will face massive sanctions in the event of an invasion.

Russia is demanding security measures, such as a pledge to ban Ukraine from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Previously, President Biden and Putin had a 50-minute phone call on December 30 last year to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, but both sides adhered to their existing positions and might not find a solution.

Since then, a solution has been sought through successive diplomatic contacts between Russia and the West, including the United States, but a breakthrough has yet to be made in resolving tensions.

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