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US diplomats have called on US President Joe Biden to publish a list of sanctions that Washington will impose in the event of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The appeal was signed by more than two dozen employees of the State Department. Including former US ambassadors to Russia Michael McFaul and Alexander Vershbow.
The appeal was published on its website by the Atlantic Council. This is an analytical center that was founded in 1961 under NATO. The document states that the list should include the main and “most painful” measures that Washington will be ready to apply immediately. Diplomats are confident that this will be the main deterrent for Moscow.
Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden had a phone conversation before the New Year. The dialogue lasted 50 minutes. During the conversation, the American leader threatened Russia with new sanctions because of the situation with Ukraine. Putin replied that this would be a major mistake, since a break in relations could follow after that.
The West has recently been extremely concerned about the alleged “intensification of aggressive actions” at the borders with Ukraine. Moreover, Kiev itself assures that the movements of Russian troops do not pose a serious threat to the territorial integrity of the country. Moscow, in turn, has repeatedly rejected the accusations of Western countries, emphasizing that statements about “aggression” are used as a pretext to deploy more NATO military equipment near the Russian borders.