Biden to hold second call with Putin ahead of U.S.-Russia security talks

[brooklynite]

Source: Axios

President Biden will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday afternoon, ahead of a series of diplomatic talks in January over Russia's military buildup on its border with Ukraine.

Why it matters: The call, announced Wednesday by the White House, will mark the second time the two leaders have spoken this month. Putin has laid out a series of maximalist demands for scaling back U.S. and NATO activity in Europe, warning that the alliance's expansion may leave Russia with no choice but to invade Ukraine.

The big picture: The U.S. and Russia agreed this week to hold talks on Jan. 10, followed by meetings of the Russia-NATO Council on Jan. 12 and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Jan. 13.

The U.S. and its European allies have threatened Russia with unprecedented sanctions and an increased troop presence on NATO's eastern flank if Putin moves forward with an invasion of Ukraine.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/biden-putin-phone-call-russia-ukraine-8de373e8-edfb-4a36-a48b-8018312ca2ca.html

[left-of-center2012]

1. Biden to speak with Putin on Thursday at Russian leader's request

The call was requested by Putin ... and Biden accepted because "he believes when it comes to Russia there is no substitute for direct leader-leader dialogue."

"the Biden Administration continues to engage in extensive diplomacy with our European Allies ...
President Biden has spoken with ... (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the (European Union), and the (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe).

They have also held numerous consultations with the Bucharest Nine
The Bucharest Nine is a reference to nine European nations that form the eastern edge of NATO -- Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/29/politics/biden-putin-call/index.html

[Lasher]

2. An important distinction