The telephone conversation that took place between the Presidents of the United States and Ukraine, Joseph Biden and Vladimir Zelensky, went “not well.” This was reported to CNN on condition of anonymity by a high-ranking Ukrainian official.
The parties allegedly differed in their assessment of the “risk levels” of the Russian attack. The White House disputed this version, warning that anonymous sources were spreading “false rumors.”
The Ukrainian official called the conversation “long and frank.” According to him, Biden warned Zelensky that a Russian attack is almost inevitable, since the ground will already freeze in February. The Ukrainian president objected that the threat from Moscow remains “dangerous, but ambiguous.”
National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horn disputed what the Ukrainian official said.
“President Biden said there is a clear possibility that the Russians could invade Ukraine in February. He has stated this publicly, and we have been warning about it for several months. Reports about something bigger or different from this are completely false,” she said.
Emily Horn also said that Biden promised Kiev to provide about half a billion dollars for economic development and humanitarian aid. The presidents did not discuss the increase in military aid. The American president said that he was not ready yet to introduce a new package of economic anti-Russian sanctions. There is no progress on Ukraine’s accession to NATO to date.
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