Biden tells Ukraine: we’ve got your back
President Joe Biden has reassured his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that the US “will respond decisively” if Russia invades its pro-Western neighbour, the White House said in a statement.
With a Russian military buildup continuing on Ukraine’s borders, Mr Biden “made clear” to Mr Zelensky during a phone call that the US and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
The show of US support for Ukraine comes days after Mr Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of severe consequences if Moscow launches a military invasion.
In his call with Mr Zelensky, Mr Biden also stressed Washington’s commitment “to the principle of ‘nothing about you without you’,” in an apparent reference to the need to include Ukraine in negotiations about its own future.
Mr Zelensky tweeted afterwards he appreciated Washington’s “unwavering support” and that the call “proves the special nature” of the two countries’ relationship.
High-ranking US and Russian officials are due to sit down on January 9 and 10 in Geneva to discuss the crisis.
Last week, Mr Biden spoke to Mr Putin in the two leaders’ second conversation by phone in three weeks as tensions mount over Ukraine.
Discussing the call with Mr Putin, Mr Biden said: “I’m not going to negotiate here in public, but we made it clear he cannot – I’ll emphasise, cannot – invade Ukraine.”
The US leader added, in remarks to reporters during a holiday stay in Delaware, that he had “made it clear to President Putin that we will have severe sanctions, we will increase our presence in Europe, with NATO allies” if Russia invades Ukraine.
Ms Psaki told reporters Mr Biden reassured Mr Zelensky of “the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
He also “expressed support for confidence-building measures to de-escalate tensions, as well as active diplomacy to advance the implementation of the Minsk Agreement”.
Under the agreement, which was brokered by France and Germany, Ukraine agreed to carry out political reforms while Russia agreed to end its support for pro-Russian separatist rebels in Ukraine.
Some 100,000 Russian troops are massed near the border of the country.
With the rebooted mask requirements in all of Qld it’s disappointing to see so many self-entitled people, not wearing masks or not wearing them correctly. They must think they are bulletproof. It’s not about us or them, vaxed or unvaxed any more, it’s about us against the virus. None of us want to catch it or worse pass it on to a loved one who may not be able to fight it off. Could you live with that guilt? IAN, WHITE ROCK
To all world leaders, think of peace not wars. We have had many deaths in the past. We have only one life so lets live it to the max.
Stafford, Mareeba
A new multi-billion dollar cruise ship terminal for the Gold Coast, plus mega billions of borrowed money for the great southeast BrisVegas Olympic Games. It would be nice if Pitt, Healy and Crawford actually did something for Cairns water infrastructure and hydro electricity, so as to create lifelong jobs unlike unreliable, useless wind turbines, mutilating our forests and precious native wildlife.
Rex, Edmonton
The last hoorah from Mike O’Connor in 2021 was he’s still in denial about anything considered positive, progressive or politically correct. Let’s hear it for a caring, happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year for all the people of the world.
Bleeding Heart, Cairns
Re: Cairns water supply, the vast majority of growth for the Cairns region is in the southern corridor, bordering the Mulgrave River. I think the local state members and Cairns regional councillors are well aware of what needs to happen when the economics is sorted.
Ratepayer, Cairns
Forget about global warming, tens of thousands of people (CP, 3/1) running from winter wildfires in Colorado, and then standing in the snow and rubble next day. Come on, it can’t be climate change, the weather outside my window is fine.
Bernie, Holloways Beach
Before the CBD-dwellers start bleating about US bushfires being a sign of climate change, can I just jump in and say, “No fuel, no fire”?
Bushie, Dimbulah
Thirty-six degrees (CP, 1/3) is not a “heatwave,” it is what we used to call “beach weather.”
Boogie Boarder, Cairns
Yeah, nah, the Queenssland government’s mask “mandates” (CP, 03/01) don’t override federal law such as the Disability Discrimination Act. That’s not how our system of governance works.
Fine Legal Mind, Cairns
On the bright side, the sunken ferry (CP, 3/1) will be a great fish habitat. Fisho, Trinity Beach
Based on the number of maskless people at DFO on Sunday morning, I guess that people don’t care about spreading Covid.
Anon, Cairns
Why is Vikki Campion a columnist? I’m not quite sure what her qualifications are.
Dougal, Cairns