WASHINGTON | By announcing the possible deployment of thousands of American soldiers to reinforce NATO troops, Joe Biden markedly increased the pressure on Moscow on Monday, while the more cautious Europeans called for not creating more “volatility” in the Ukrainian crisis.
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The United States has placed up to 8,500 military personnel on high alert. That means they might be ready in five days to bolster the military alliance’s 40,000-strong Rapid Reaction Force, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday.
“No decision has been made on a deployment of forces outside the United States at this time,” he said.
But “it is very clear”, he added, “that the Russians currently have no intention of starting a de-escalation”.
The American president is trying to tilt in his favor the balance of power established by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, by massing troops and equipment on the border with Ukraine.
Joe Biden had a videoconference of just under an hour and a half on Monday with several European leaders, whom this rise in pressure from the Americans seems to take by surprise.
“We are concerned, we are also very careful not to create ambiguity, additional volatility,” Paris said on Monday.
But the United States assured Monday, by the voice of the spokesman of the State Department Ned Price, to have “no divergence” with the Europeans on the subject of the sanctions to be imposed on Russia in the event of invasion of the Ukraine, nor regarding the urgency of the threat.
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“Path”
French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, wants to offer “a path of de-escalation” to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during an interview “in the coming days”.
France, which currently assumes command of NATO’s Rapid Reaction Force, is also organizing a meeting of high-ranking advisers in Paris on Wednesday with Germany, Russia and Ukraine, to try to revive a format of dialogue dating from 2015, now at a standstill.
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, called not to “dramatize” and to avoid “alarmist” reactions, following the United States decided in particular to leave the families of diplomats stationed in Kiev, an initiative followed by London and Canberra.
NATO, for its part, has announced that it is placing forces on standby and sending ships and combat aircraft to strengthen its defenses in Eastern Europe.
Moscow denounced “hysteria” and accused the United States and NATO of “exacerbating tensions through announcements and concrete actions”.
The Ukrainian authorities have also deemed Washington’s decision concerning their diplomatic representation “premature” and “excessive”.
Videoconference
Along with this rise in pressure, the United States continues despite everything to explore the diplomatic path.
According to a European source, a new meeting would thus be planned between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, we learned from a European diplomatic source.
The United States also repeats in all tones that it intends to coordinate very closely with its European allies, who have become suspicious since the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, carried out according to them in a very unilateral manner.
The American president therefore organized a “secure” videoconference, with Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Polish President Andrzej Duda, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
It lasted from 8:05 p.m. to 9:25 p.m. GMT Monday, according to the White House.
Russia demands a written commitment on the non-enlargement of NATO to Ukraine and Georgia and demands a withdrawal of the forces and armaments of the Atlantic Alliance from the countries of Eastern Europe which have joined the NATO following 1997, notably from Romania and Bulgaria. “Non-negotiable” demands for Westerners.
Moscow assures that it has no intention of intervening in Ukraine, but supports the claims of pro-Russian separatists in the east of this country.
Gas and oil
In the event of an invasion, Westerners have assured that they are preparing sanctions of unprecedented severity.
A series of options have been prepared by the European Commission. Reducing gas and oil purchases, which represent 43% and 20% of EU supplies respectively, and which largely finance the Russian budget, are on the table, a European source told AFP. but the subject divides the European Union.
A big unknown remains the position of the very young German coalition government in the event of an escalation with Russia. Berlin refuses to deliver weapons to Ukraine, unlike the United States, Kiev said.
On the American side, Joe Biden plans to ban Russian banks from using the dollar, the main currency of international trade, which would deal a very severe blow to the country’s finance and real economy.
