Pres. Joe Biden spoke to Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin for 50 minutes by phone on Thursday, their second conversation this month, while on holiday break in Rehoboth, DE. The press secretary Jen Psaki summarized their discussion in a statement. Notably, the president has previously spoken about hitting Russia with sanctions to prevent military action against Ukraine and emphasized in the call that if the threats to Ukraine do not de-escalate the U.S. "will respond decisively."
Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on President Biden’s Phone Call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. President Biden urged Russia to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine. He made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine. President Biden also expressed support for diplomacy, starting early next year with the bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue, at NATO through the NATO-Russia Council, and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. President Biden reiterated that substantive progress in these dialogues can occur only in an environment of de-escalation rather than escalation.