Biden warns Putin that U.S. will respond ‘decisively’ if Russia invades Ukraine

WASHINGTON

The leaders of the U.S. and Russia held an hourlong call on Saturday that made little apparent headU.S. way, with President Joe Biden warning again of “severe costs” for any invasion of Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing America of failing to provide him with the security assurances he needs to back down.

While the Kremlin characterized the talks as businesslike and balanced, briefings by both sides afterward indicated that Biden and Putin stuck to their familiar talking points, proving few clues as to where things go from here.

That’s even as U.S. officials warn of the risk that Russia could take military action against Ukraine or attempt to ignite a conflict inside the country as soon as next week. Putin has said repeatedly he has no plans to invade.

Biden told Putin during their conversation — their first direct exchange since late December — that the remained ready to find a diplomatic solution to the tensions over Russia’s military buildup near the Ukrainian border.

The talks took place in an atmosphere of “unprecedented hysteria by American officials about Russia’s allegedly imminent invasion of Ukraine,” Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters. Putin told Biden that the U.S. responses to his demands for security guarantees don’t address the Kremlin’s key concerns about preventing further NATO expansion, Ushakov said.

U.S. officials continue to say they do not know Putin’s final intentions. Still, a senior administration official, speaking after Saturday’s call, said there was a distinct possibility that Russia may proceed with military action and there had been no fundamental change in that view.

Both the White House and Kremlin said that Putin and Biden agreed their officials would stay in contact in the coming days.

The U.S. and U.K. say Russia has massed about 130,000 troops close to Ukraine, raising fears of a potential three-pronged assault including from Crimea and via Belarus in the north. NATO has moved to reinforce defenses in eastern European member states. Russian officials accuse the West of undermining the country’s security by drawing

Ukraine closer to NATO and say troop movements on Russian territory are an internal matter.

Putin spoke separately with the leaders of France and Belarus on Saturday prior to his call with Biden. Russia and Belarus on Feb. 10 started their largest joint military drills in Belarus for